Newcastle United defender Malick Thiaw has commented on the difficulty of facing Nick Woltemade in training sessions.
Newcastle United’s signings from Premier League clubs haven’t quite found top form this season.
Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey haven’t hit the ground running, but Newcastle’s German duo have become fan favourites.
Nick Woltemade has excelled in the Newcastle attack, while Malick Thiaw is already loved by Toon fans.
Nick Woltemade on the risk he took when joining Newcastle United.
Malick Thiaw on Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade
Woltemade impressed for Germany in the international break, while Thiaw is back in the Germany fold after two years out of the picture.
Both players are thriving at Newcastle, and their summer moves are certainly paying dividends.
Thiaw and Woltemade are teammates for club and country, so their only battles against each other come in training.
Thiaw has now told the media, as captured by Beanyman Sports, that it’s ‘difficult’ to play against Woltemade.
The Newcastle forward is a huge presence, but he also has the technical ability and real intelligence to make life difficult for defenders.
Thiaw also hailed Woltemade as a person, branding him a ‘lovely character’ after joining forces at Newcastle.
“Yeah, first of all, he’s a great guy. A lovely character,” said Thiaw.
“A great footballer as well. I think to play against him is a bit difficult, because you don’t really face players with his size and the technical ability he has, but he’s also a really smart player. He’s really intelligent.
“He knows when to move into certain spaces, when to ask for the ball and also when he has the eye for a better teammate. So he’s a really good player,” he added.
This is why Newcastle United fans already love Malick Thiaw so much.
Nick Woltemade’s Premier League drought shouldn’t concern Newcastle United
Woltemade made an explosive impact at Newcastle, but the Premier League goals have dried up a little.
Since scoring a sumptuous back heel against Brighton and Hove Albion on 18 October, Woltemade has failed to score in four Premier League outings.
Eddie Howe would, of course, prefer to have Woltemade scoring goals, but this shouldn’t be a major concern.
Woltemade looked dangerous against Manchester City on Saturday and could have easily scored twice on another night.
Newcastle can still improve in terms of creating chances for Woltemade, but his international exploits show that his scoring touch hasn’t disappeared, and it will surely return in the Premier League very soon.
The post Malick Thiaw shares what it's like to face Nick Woltemade during Newcastle United training sessions appeared first on Geordie Boot Boys.