Matthias Jaissle Admits Newcastle Are Still Trying to Fix Major Problem From Eddie Howe Era

Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle has admitted that his team still have an important issue to resolve from the previous regime as he continues his work to reshape the squad and establish his footballing philosophy at St James’ Park.

Jaissle replaced Eddie Howe during the summer after the former Newcastle manager’s departure brought an end to almost five years in charge.

Howe left after a difficult final campaign in which Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League. The club subsequently underwent a major squad overhaul, with several important players leaving during the summer transfer window.

The transition has therefore been far from straightforward for Jaissle.

One of the areas the German coach has identified as requiring improvement is Newcastle’s productivity from wide areas, particularly when it comes to creating assists.

The Magpies have invested heavily in attacking players, but Jaissle wants greater consistency from his wide players and expects them to become more effective in the final third.

It is an issue that Newcastle have been attempting to address on the training ground.

Jaissle has acknowledged that improving the team’s attacking output cannot happen immediately and that his players need time to develop a better understanding of his system.

The German coach wants Newcastle to play an aggressive, vertical and proactive style, but that approach requires his players to make better decisions in possession and provide greater quality in the final third.

The problem has become particularly noticeable following the departures of several key players.

Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali left during the summer, while Bruno Guimaraes also departed for Arsenal. Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson previously admitted that losing Guimaraes was particularly disappointing, although the club had planned for significant squad changes.

Jaissle was therefore handed a significantly different squad from the one Howe had managed.

The 38-year-old has also been tasked with integrating a number of younger players. Newcastle signed eight players aged 24 or younger during the summer as the club adjusted its recruitment strategy in response to financial regulations.

That rebuilding process means Jaissle has repeatedly stressed the importance of patience.

When he was unveiled as Newcastle manager, the German admitted that the departure of Gordon, Tonali and Guimaraes had created what he described as a “vacuum” because the club had lost three experienced and influential players.

However, he insisted that he remained optimistic about Newcastle’s future.

“This is now a vacuum,” Jaissle said at the time, explaining that the club was entering a transition period. He added that his job was to make the best of the situation but warned that success would not happen overnight.

His latest comments underline the scale of the rebuilding job.

Rather than simply changing Newcastle’s tactics, Jaissle is attempting to improve several aspects of the team’s attacking play while simultaneously introducing new players and developing a different style.

The challenge was exposed during Newcastle’s recent 4-1 defeat against Leeds United.

Newcastle struggled to cope with Leeds’ intensity and conceded four times, while their own attacking threat was limited for large periods of the match. The defeat was Jaissle’s first Premier League loss since taking charge.

The result demonstrated why the Newcastle boss believes there is still significant work to do.

Jaissle’s immediate objective will be to improve the team’s consistency while ensuring that his attacking ideas become increasingly familiar to his players.

For Newcastle supporters, the rebuilding process could therefore remain a work in progress for some time.

The club’s hierarchy has already made clear that the long-term plan is to build a younger squad capable of competing within financial regulations. Sporting director Ross Wilson said Newcastle had been preparing for a managerial change for months and that Jaissle had been identified as the club’s preferred candidate because of his suitability for an aggressive, high-pressing style.

Jaissle now has the responsibility of turning that strategy into results on the pitch.

The manager’s admission that Newcastle are still attempting to solve an attacking problem inherited from the previous era highlights just how much remains to be done as the new project at St James’ Park develops.