Newcastle United assistant coach Engin Yanova has said the team needs time to implement Matthias Jaissle's tactics, while highlighting Lewis Hall as a future leader. Speaking to Turkish media outlet Sabah, Yanova acknowledged the challenges of arriving late in pre-season and adapting to the Premier League's intensity.
Late Arrival and Early Promise
Jaissle has been at the club for three months, having arrived after Eddie Howe's decision to leave midway through the summer. The German head coach had little time to work with the squad, including eight new players, before the season began.
The early signs were encouraging, with a gutsy performance against Liverpool almost bringing a debut win, followed by a 2-0 victory over Tottenham. However, recent results and performances have raised questions over how suited the current squad is to Jaissle's tactics.
Recent Struggles and Departures
Newcastle fell to heavy defeats at Coventry City and Leeds United, and lost their last two home games 1-0 to Aston Villa and Everton, rarely looking like scoring in either game. Yanova refused to blame the departures of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes for the early difficulties.
"Firstly, the tempo," he said when asked about the difference between the Saudi league and the Premier League. "The dynamism of the 22 players on the field, the pace of the game, their strength, of course, affects football in a different way."
"When you look at Saudi Arabia, most of the top players were there. But of course, they were in their prime. For example, Benzema, Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez. But all the players here are in their prime. Accordingly, the quality of the game is very high."
Need for Time and Young Squad
"The most important thing for us right now is time - we need time, but the Premier League doesn't give us time. Because you have to get results every week," Yanova added. "We were aware of the departures when we arrived. But we joined the team a little late. We couldn't experience the pre-season as we wanted. The Premier League started two weeks after we arrived."
"We are trying to get to know the team and we think we are making good progress. The squad has become much younger. The average age is very young, but we see this as an opportunity. Because the players we transferred really have good potential. We are currently trying to develop them within a good concept and a good strategy."
Lewis Hall's Growing Influence
Yanova pointed to the role of experienced players such as Dan Burn and Fabian Schar in the set-up, and revealed Hall is already making his influence felt in the dressing room despite his young age.
"We have experienced players like Dan Burn and Fabian Schar," he added. "We have an experienced striker like Wissa. There are two types of leaders: one through performance and one through character."
"For example, we need to watch Lewis Hall right now. He has been called up to the national team again. Despite his young age, he takes responsibility and his performance really pleases us. He will definitely have a bigger say in the future."
