adminNewcastle United finally had something to celebrate under Matthias Jaissle as the German manager secured his first home victory in dramatic fashion, with the Magpies surviving a five-goal thriller against West Bromwich Albion at St James’ Park.
But while Harvey Barnes emerged as the hero with two crucial goals and Amar Dedić continued to impress, one Newcastle player remained under the spotlight for a very different reason.
The summer signing has already faced questions over his role and impact at Newcastle, and the pressure only increased after another difficult night in which he failed to make the kind of attacking contribution many supporters expected.
Newcastle had started brightly, but it was West Brom who stunned the home crowd when Isaac Price’s free-kick found the back of the net from distance.
The Magpies were forced to fight their way back into the contest, with Bazoumana Touré eventually restoring parity after Amar Dedić created the opening.
Jaissle then turned to his bench, bringing on Harvey Barnes at half-time — and the decision immediately paid off.
Barnes struck just three minutes after coming on, reacting quickest after Malick Thiaw’s effort created chaos inside the West Brom penalty area.
Newcastle appeared to have control of the match before West Brom were handed a route back into the contest when Lewis Hall was penalised for handball.
Price converted from the penalty spot to make it 2-2, leaving Jaissle’s side facing the possibility of a frustrating result.
But Newcastle refused to collapse.
With only nine minutes remaining, Anthony Elanga found Dedić, whose delivery created another opportunity for Barnes.
The £38m attacker made no mistake, scoring his second goal of the night to put Newcastle back in front.
And this was where Woltemade’s involvement became particularly important.
Rather than disappearing completely from the contest, the German forward played a role in Newcastle’s decisive attacking move, feeding Elanga before the winger combined with Dedić and Barnes to restore Newcastle’s lead.
It was not the dominant individual performance supporters would have wanted from the expensive forward, but his involvement showed why Jaissle has continued to trust him despite the growing scrutiny surrounding his Newcastle career.
The German boss was also anything but passive throughout the match.
Jaissle repeatedly prowled the touchline, celebrating Newcastle’s goals with his players and furiously disputing decisions with the officials deep into stoppage time.
His reaction underlined just how much winning meant to the new Newcastle head coach.
And that could also be the biggest message for Woltemade.
Jaissle has already shown that reputations and price tags will not be enough to guarantee a place in his team. Players have to contribute to the intensity and attacking demands he expects, while opportunities can quickly be taken by teammates who perform.
For Woltemade, therefore, the West Brom victory was another important test.
He may not have produced the headline performance, but his late involvement in the winning move could give him something to build on as he attempts to convince Jaissle that he deserves a bigger role.
Most importantly for Newcastle, Jaissle finally has his first home victory.
After a chaotic night, two comebacks and five goals, the German manager’s fighting spirit was impossible to miss.
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