Angus is an experienced football journalist at Football FanCast, specialising in Premier League reporting, opinion writing and in-depth football analysis. Since graduating from Southampton Solent University in 2022, he has developed extensive experience covering the English game, producing thousands of articles across a wide range of clubs and competitions.  

Before joining Football FanCast, Angus led VAVEL's Brighton & Hove Albion department, gaining valuable experience in club-specific reporting and editorial leadership. He subsequently joined Football FanCast through Snack Media's academy, now part of Valnet, and has progressed into the publication's Opinions and Features team.
 

As one of Football FanCast's longest-serving writers, Angus has covered numerous major developments across the Premier League, combining breaking news experience with detailed features and considered opinions. His work draws on years of reporting to provide context behind performances, transfer activity and the wider issues shaping English football.

All is not well at Newcastle United. Frequently throughout the early months of the 2026/27 season, supporters are urged to approach Matthias Jaissle with patience and understanding.

That's all well and good, but there's no question that Jaissle's Newcastle side are leaving plenty to be desired, with Thursday evening's hollow Carabao Cup defeat against Everton at the Hill Dickinson illustrating the issues the German manager, only 38, is beset with.

This Magpies side aren't clicking together right now, weak in defence and toothless in attack. Jaissle needs his senior stars to step up, with too many big-money signings failing to live up to their price tag on Tyneside.

He's not actually there right now, but Nick Woltemade is a perfect example.

Why Nick Woltemade typifies Newcastle's decline

Woltemade was always going to be up against it. The German striker joined at the end of the 2025 summer transfer window, leaving Stuttgart and signing for Newcastle in a club-record £69m deal.

Woltemade, 25, was loaned out to Juventus this summer after flaking away under Eddie Howe's management last season. He scored only one Premier League goal after Christmas, putting in any number of poor performances.

Replacing Alexander Isak was never going to be easy, but there's no question that Woltemade could have done more, anonymous for much of the campaign.

So far in Turin, Woltemade is struggling to establish himself. The Germany international is not shaping out to be the world-class attacker Newcastle thought they were paying for, lacking a killer instinct in front of goal.

For a club who prided themselves on smart business across the early days of the PIF ownership, bullseye signings are becoming few and far between at St. James' Park.

Newcastle are being rinsed by £106m duo

Yoane Wissa joined Newcastle for £55m last summer, but so far, it's quite hard to present a compelling case for the DR Congo representing good business.

Instead, Wissa is dangerously close to entering Woltemade territory and being remembered as a big-money flop. He only scored once in the Premier League last season, and he has one goal from seven appearances in the competition this time around.

It's clear that something has gone wrong over the past few years. How many top transfer targets have the Toon missed out on in recent years? How detrimental have the setbacks been? Wissa was hardly Howe's top choice to replace Isak last year, after all, and neither was Woltemade.

He was a phenom at Brentford, but wrenched from that system, the 30-year-old has flattered to deceive. Just one Premier League goal this season, and four big chances missed besides. He's no spring chicken either.

Wissa's wastefulness is frustrating, but he's not the only one leaving a lot to be desired in attack for the Tynesiders this term. Indeed, Matias Fernandez-Pardo needs to do so much more after joining the club from LOSC Lille at the end of the recent transfer window; he signed in a deal worth around £51m.

Combined, Newcastle have spent around £106m on this two-man strike-force, paling in comparison to Isak before them. It's no wonder that the outfit has taken a tumble.

Fernandez-Pardo has potential; it would be silly to completely write him off already. However, Newcastle spent £51m - at least - on a young forward who is expected to be the marquee addition of the window, and the current situation Newcastle find themselves in would say that the Belgian needs to be providing bang for his buck from the get-go.

That hasn't happened, and instead, he has lost his place as Newcastle's frontman after declaring centre-forward to be his best position.

It's a long old season in the Premier League, and there's every chance that Jaissle's side will find form and make headway as the term deepens.

At least Woltemade started his Newcastle career strongly, posting four goals across his first five games in the Premier League. Wissa and Fernandez-Pardo have little to show for their time at the club so far.

However, chances of sparking that change hinge heavily on Wissa and Fernandez-Pardo's shoulders. As things stand, neither attacker looks likely to take this season by the scruff of the neck and drive Newcastle back into the ascendancy.