Nick Woltemade drops huge hint to Eddie Howe over preferred position

Nick Woltemade returned to Benton on Monday following his extended break after taking part in the World Cup.

The German striker was amongst those who missed a spot kick as they were knocked out by Paraguay in a penalty shootout.

Despite this, Woltemade appeared to be in good spirits when reporting back for duty at The KNOX on Monday amid false reports that he'd been told he could leave the club on loan this summer.

This will be the big man's first pre-season under Eddie Howe, having signed late in the summer window last season.

Nick Woltemade wants to play in a front two

We are hoping that a good pre-season will help the pair work out a solid plan of attack for next season, and if Eddie Howe needs any pointers, then Woltemade has dropped a huge hint.

Speaking to German legend Thomas Muller (via Bulinews), Nick Woltemade talked about the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as the national coach before saying his preferred position.

"If you look at the age of our players, it is still an exciting team. Now we get a new coach; let's see what will happen. It’s nice that we can go again in a few months.

"(Responding to a question on preferred position) Preferably in a two-striker system or behind the striker. It's better for me to play with a lot of freedom and when I have someone around me."

Will Eddie Howe finally change style?

Eddie Howe had dropped Woltemade back into the midfield in a bid to give him more freedom, but he never really felt like he was playing as a number 10 as he seemed to be a lot deeper.

If Will Osula is going to be the one leading the line, will Howe incorporate Woltemade as a second striker or a number 10?

We are really hoping there's a change to the style for next season, as the 4-3-3 we've played since Howe took over has gone pretty stale and proved to be completely ineffective against a low block last season. 

It's time for a change of approach, and this could be part of it.