Matthias Jaissle has publicly questioned whether his Newcastle United players followed his tactical instructions during Monday's 1-0 defeat to Everton, a frustration that echoes the issues that contributed to Eddie Howe's departure earlier in 2026.
Speaking after the loss at Goodison Park, Jaissle told reporters, including Chronicle Live: "We could not bring him [Will Osula] into situations. We need to jump the first lines with clear balance on how we want to play football. Just playing long balls is for sure not the sign he prefers."
He added: "And it was not the plan; that is something you clearly need to mention. This is now the next step to clearly analyse it in-depth, and ask why we could not start the game as we originally planned."
A familiar problem for Newcastle
The incident is not the first time in 2026 that Jaissle has questioned his players publicly. The situation also recalls the final months of Howe's tenure, when a Sky Sports camera captured Fabian Schar discarding a tactical note into the turf, a moment that reportedly frustrated the former head coach.
In April, during a pivotal match against Crystal Palace that could have saved Howe's job, his players were urged to push for a second goal after taking a 1-0 lead. Instead, they sat back to defend the slender advantage and capitulated 2-1, leaving Howe just a few games from the end of his time at the club.
Howe said after that game: "I've said many times that's not the tactical instruction we give the players. We don't want to go 1-0 up and change to a mentality of defending, but we've done it, so I can't say it hasn't happened. But then if you are going to defend, we have to defend better than we did and we gave a few chances, but we're still vulnerable towards the end of the game and that's hugely disappointing."
Looking ahead to January and beyond
Despite the defeat to Everton, the closing half-hour showed Newcastle were close to an equaliser, with Jordan Pickford making saves and Anthony Elanga's shot narrowly missing the target. Jaissle and his staff have reportedly remained calm in the week leading into the match against Fulham.
A win at Craven Cottage would be important for Jaissle, but he retains backing behind the scenes and is expected to be given time to turn results around. Having inherited a squad set in its ways, the next two transfer windows could be pivotal as Jaissle gains more influence over signings and looks to bring in players who can implement his system.
Changes may begin in January, with some players moved on and younger, hungry arrivals expected to come in.
