Top News

The new Toon boss admitted the ‘big challenge’ ahead of him, but did not look remotely overawed by the job.

It has been a summer of turmoil and change at Newcastle United, yet you would not have guessed it from Matthias Jaissle as he faced the media for the first time at St James’ Park on Tuesday.

Wearing a sharp suit with his hair slicked back, the Magpies’ new head coach started by shaking every hand in the room before stepping up to speak. He came across as calm, assured and clear in his thinking, projecting the belief that not only will things be fine on Tyneside, but that memorable days and nights lie ahead.

Even so, after arriving at the end of July following Eddie Howe’s swift exit, and only just in time to witness captain Bruno Guimaraes leave after Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon had already gone, Jaissle knows exactly what he has walked into. With a little over a fortnight to go before the Premier League opener at home to Liverpool, the task is a demanding one.

The 38-year-old said he sees possibility rather than pessimism. “It is a challenge, a big challenge,” Jaissle said. “We lost big characters; this is a vacuum. Others need to step into it, either through signing these profiles or existing players. We are aware of what we need internally.”

“Always when there is a transition period, it is not time to complain. We see the chance, not the negative. We want to do our best, and we are here to support the players. There will be adjustments in the next days and weeks, but we are focused on our daily work.”

“I would have loved to have started from the beginning and been involved in everything, the signings and being involved from the first day. It is something I cannot influence.”

“We’ll use every day in the best possible way to improve. This is a collective task for the whole club. If we are all thriving in the same direction, it is going to be successful.”

At their peak under Howe, Newcastle were hugely difficult to play against, chasing every ball and swamping opponents with their pressing and energy. It was no secret that the phrase “Intensity is our Identity” was displayed on the walls at the training ground.

As Howe’s momentum faded towards the end of his spell, ending with a 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season, that central principle faded too. But Jaissle, shaped by the Red Bull model and a follower of Ralf Rangnick who has won league titles with RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, wants to restore it. He described Newcastle as a “perfect fit” for his footballing ideas.

“[We should be] front-footed, intense, aggressive and, of course, successful,” he said.

“That is why I am sitting here; the belief we have as a coaching team, the identity of Newcastle United is linked closely together [to that]. It is a perfect fit in my eyes. It is going to be exciting.”

“Football is really complex. We can press, why are we doing that? To get the ball, and then you need to have solutions and be smart. You have to have your identity, how we want to play, vertical, we want to score goals, but it depends how the opponent is playing, it is about adaptation as well. We need to use their weaknesses and our strengths.”

Jaissle also feels his relationship with England manager Thomas Tuchel could matter as he adjusts to life in the Premier League. Their connection goes back to the early stage of his playing career, and Tuchel also had an influence on his development as a coach.

You have to have your identity, how we want to play, vertical, we want to score goals, but it depends how the opponent is playing, it is about adaptation as well

“The connection is there, it has been a long connection,” he said with a smile. “He was my coach when I was a youth player in Stuttgart. He is an amazing coach; I really admire him and appreciate him a lot – what he did and will do in the future. He is really special; I am looking forward to getting insight from him about the league.”

His touchline personality is quite different from the composed figure seated at the front of the room. He said he is passionate, emotional and has no intention of changing that.

There were no grand declarations about a long-term vision, and some supporters would be entitled to ask broader questions about the Saudi-backed project. But if first impressions count for anything, Matthias Jaissle clearly believes he can make a significant mark at Newcastle.