Former Newcastle United star Ruel Fox has insisted that the Magpies did not waste £124 million on their strike force Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa last season. The duo struggled to make an impact at St James' Park, with Woltemade showing flashes of promise early on before fading, while Wissa suffered an injury shortly after his £55 million move from Brentford while on international duty with DR Congo.
Fox backs Wissa and Woltemade
Fox, who played for Newcastle's famous Entertainers side, believes both players should be judged from the start of the 2026/27 season and urged the club to avoid panic sales. Speaking while playing for an Age UK charity 7-a-side team, Fox said: 'When you come in, you want to hit the ground running. Unfortunately, Wissa got injured. If he'd come in and got a goal early, maybe one off the back of his head, it's different.'
'You can see that he and Woltemade have yet to strike up a connection with their team-mates because of early setbacks. I watch games, and I can see what he's trying to do when he's making runs, and because he is playing catch-up, his team-mates aren't reading his runs and vice versa. It has been difficult for him to start with, but once he gets games under his belt and has been around the squad longer, it will be OK for him.'
Drawing from his own experience
Fox, who formed a telepathic understanding with Andy Cole and Peter Beardsley in the early 1990s, helping Newcastle finish third and qualify for Europe, added: 'Some players come in and find a connection straight away. I got off to a flying start and had that with Andy Cole. It was just telepathic; he knew where I was running, and I knew where he was running, same with the crosses.'
'There might be other things going on for both Nick Woltemade and Wissa. People don't always appreciate what might be happening off the pitch if a player has had to move their whole family up to Newcastle from London, which is a huge change. He may not be settled yet, Wissa, so let's judge him from this season. If he has a good pre-season, hits the ground running, and repays that faith with his goals.'
Eddie Howe deserves time
Fox also believes manager Eddie Howe should be given the benefit of the doubt after Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League last season, a poor follow-up to their 2024/25 campaign when they finished fifth and won the Carabao Cup. Fox said: 'I think it's been a squad problem. Everybody was desperate to win a trophy, but then you are in four competitions and finances don't allow you to strengthen the squad. Eddie Howe has had his hands tied behind his back with PSR. I feel sorry for him to a certain extent.'
'Sometimes it gets to a stage where you just need a revamp or reset. Whether that is the manager or the players, or a combination of both. Usually Newcastle have finished seasons quite strongly, but they did it with a bit of a whimper this year. Hopefully, they can come back and have a good pre-season. The squad needs improvement; that is evident.'
'All the efforts they put themselves through to get that trophy in 2025, it takes a lot out of the players emotionally. Last season, Newcastle had unfortunate injuries, and Anthony Gordon has gone now and needs to be replaced. Some players are in their late 20s or early 30s, so there is a revamp needed. Hopefully they will be OK.'
Entertainers reunite for charity
Newcastle's old boys warmed hearts in a great turnout at Gateshead Leisure Centre, rolling back the years in a win over Tyneside journalists, with the likes of Fox, Paul Brayson, and Paul Robinson getting on the scoresheet. Fox said: 'I enjoyed it, it felt great at the time, but I felt it the next day. It's for a great cause so I'm happy to do it.'
'But it also gives me the chance to catch up with some of the lads like Steve Howey, Darren Peacock, Lee Clark, Paul Brayson, and Kevin Scott. That team spirit is still there. We all keep in touch still, and there is an Entertainers WhatsApp group, so there is always plenty of banter in there. It is a way to keep in touch. Newcastle is one of the only clubs I come up and visit regularly. I love the place, even though I was only at Newcastle for 18 months, it feels like a second home to me. Any time I get the chance to come up, I always take it.'
