Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle has admitted he will lean on 'close friend' Sebastian Hoeness' expertise to try and get the best out of Nick Woltemade. But, ultimately, he will form his own opinion of how best to use the German international this season and he is confident his Magpies players are ready to leave the past behind to thrive this term.
Woltemade's Stuttgart form under Hoeness
Woltemade joined Newcastle for a club record fee from Stuttgart last summer and scored 11 goals in his first season on Tyneside. He started the season as a centre-forward but ended it playing in midfield and as a number 10, and scored just two goals in 2026. It was under Hoeness where Woltemade played his best football, scoring 17 goals in the 2024/25 season for Stuttgart which culminated in them winning the DFB Pokal.
Jaissle's own judgement
Jaissle's coaching career started as Hoeness' assistant at RB Leipzig's youth team and when asked if he will lean on Hoeness for some tips to get the best out of the 24-year-old, Jaissle was determined to get across he will make his own judgement, even if he has already had conversations about Woltemade with his former colleague.
"Yeah, as I am in touch with them anyway," Jaissle told Chronicle Live when asked if he will lean on previous coaches and influences who have worked with his Newcastle players. "Sebastian is a close friend of mine so, of course, we have also been chatting about the player."
"But it is also important you build your own opinion because every coach is their own human being and have their players and have their opinions and sometimes you are stuck in a box. So it is important for us to bring that new energy and neutral opinions about players."
Looking forward after difficult period
There was much debate over where Woltemade's best position is last season and he notably struggled to make an impact in Eddie Howe's team in the second half of the season. Jaissle started Woltemade in the number 10 role in Saturday's 2-1 win in Valencia and he is hopeful Woltemade, and the rest of his team-mates are now looking forward with excitement rather than backwards with trepidation.
"I saw that he had a difficult period last year," Jaissle added. "From the first day we talked a lot and we should leave the past behind because it is something you cannot change."
"We are just looking forward, we find solutions and we do our best, not only with Nick, with all the other players as well, to improve them. To find positions where they feel comfortable, to work with the principles in our idea of how we want to play football and then there is the development you see. I am really optimistic, not only for Nick but that counts for the other players as well."
Tuchel connection
Another connection Jaissle may lean on is England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has worked with Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes during his time as Three Lions head coach.
"The connection is, of course, there," Jaissle explained. "It's been a long connection as he was my coach while I was a youth player at Stuttgart so it is quite an interesting story and he was part of my development."
"An amazing coach and I admire him a lot and what he did already and, for sure, what he will do in the future because he is a special coach. A really, really, good coach. I am looking forward to staying in touch with him and looking forward to getting some insights from him about the league."
