Matthias Jaissle does not even have his feet under the table at Newcastle United yet, but he already faces a monumental challenge: succeeding Eddie Howe, the man who brought the pride back to the city.
Howe's name was still being chanted by supporters while Newcastle trailed 4-1 at Bristol City in his final game. Defeats to Sunderland may have hurt his cause, but fans never turned on the manager who delivered the club's first trophy since the 1969 Fairs Cup in 2025.
That trophy came in the Carabao Cup, with a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Wembley that brought people to tears. Even before that, his framed picture had pride of place in a North Shields butcher's shop, alongside Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan.
A permanent place in Tyneside folklore
Howe's status as a Newcastle legend was already secured, standing alongside Sir Bobby Robson, Kevin Keegan and Joe Harvey in the club's managerial Mount Rushmore. Having kept the much-maligned Magpies up in 2022, led them into the Champions League and won a cup, he could have left on a high.
The news of his departure was met with sorrow rather than joy along the banks of the Tyne. His record read 112 wins, 48 draws and 78 defeats from 231 games, and there were unforgettable European nights: the 4-1 demolition of Paris St-Germain, the Geordie invasion at the San Siro to face AC Milan, and visits to Dortmund, Leverkusen, Baku, Barcelona and Brussels.
In every European hot spot, fans supped pints and Howe's name echoed through 12th-century public squares as locals looked on in wonder. That emotional roller-coaster is now in the past, and those who felt it was time for a change will soon see if they were right.
Why the departure made sense
Survival always looked difficult, as financial rules and shifting transfer policies threatened to slow Newcastle's momentum. Those close to Howe say he had concluded he had taken the Magpies as far as he could.
His commitment was extraordinary: he often arrived at the club's Benton training ground at 6am and did not leave until after 7pm, obsessing over tactical plans and ways to make Newcastle better.
The challenge awaiting Jaissle
Jaissle, 38, arrives with two Austrian Bundesliga titles from Red Bull Salzburg, a Saudi Super Cup with Al-Ahli and two AFC Champions League trophies. He is a proven winner, but very much unproven in the Premier League.
To better Howe, he would need to win a trophy and guide Newcastle back into the top five. The hard work starts now, but some may argue he is on a hiding to nothing given the rich success story he is following.
