Telegraph: Newcastle needs to know how Waltermad catches the ball and make sure there are players to cooperate with him
Recently, the Telegraph talked about Walter Mad, who joined Newcastle United this summer. They said that coach Eddie Howe is adjusting the offensive method that adapts to the players.
Newcastle looks brand new this season, they have conceded only three goals in the league, but they have also scored only three goals. Three of the five games so far have been 0-0 draws. They have a solid foundation, but they don't show the dazzling offensive football that Eddie Howe ruled. The team currently lacks enough excitement, especially when playing away games. Eddie Howe admits that the players will need time to get used to Walter Mad. The German international moved from Stuttgart for £69 million, becoming the most expensive signing in club history and a replacement for Isaac.
The problem or challenge is that Waltermad has completely different characteristics from last season's top scorer. He is always looking for balls under his feet and is good at finding small spaces. His excellent ball-holding ability, flexible footwork and close-range ball handling make him an excellent tandem player.
You can see this by looking at his performance against Barcelona, who touched the ball only once in that attack, but was a crucial one, creating a pass opportunity for Guimaraes, who passed the ball to Murphy. Waltermad's movement raised Barcelona's defense and created room for Gordon to score.
Waltermad is more like a Borgkamp-style forward than a Henry-style forward. Newcastle needs to figure out when and where he hopes to get the ball, and make sure there are players running around him, and midfielders can get close to him for a small range of cooperation. Gordon will come back against Arsenal, with him on the left and new player Ilanga on the right, their speed will open two wings for Waltermad.
Eddie Howe will also focus on training Walter Mad to be in the right position at the right time in the penalty area, the focus of his long-term cooperation with Isaac, who has gradually grown into a great scorer at Newcastle. Waltermad's connection with his teammates outside the penalty area can be a new offensive weapon, but he also needs to be able to receive crosses in the penalty area. His long-range header against Wolves was excellent, but he needed to prove that he could keep doing that.