Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle has acknowledged the enduring legacy of Kevin Keegan at St James' Park, ahead of what is set to be an emotional tribute to the former manager in his first game in charge. Jaissle was unveiled as the club's new head coach, and he is already looking ahead to the fixture against Liverpool on August 23, when the club will honour Keegan, who died in July.
Emotional tribute planned for Keegan
A mass black-and-white shrine was built up during pre-season, but the Liverpool game promises to be a tear-jerking affair. Jaissle said: "I heard straight away about it because he's such a legend, and I knew straight away what impact he had on that club. I think that will also be a special occasion against Liverpool, I heard that there will be some special things planned which will be emotional for sure. But I'm aware of that legacy."
Tuchel influence from youth days
Jaissle also revealed that Thomas Tuchel, who was his youth coach at Stuttgart, has been an inspiration. Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea and later took the England job, leading the Three Lions to their best World Cup finish since 1966. Jaissle said: "The connection is of course there and it's been a long connection. He was my coach when I was a youth player in Stuttgart, so quite an interesting story so he was part of why I was developing quite well as a young kid. An amazing coach, I really admire him. I appreciate him a lot, what he did already and what he will do for sure also in the future. Because he is a really special coach, a really really good coach. I'm looking forward to staying in touch with him, also getting insights from him on the league. That's something I want to use for sure."
Vision for the future
When asked about the brief from the club's owners, Jaissle said: "That we are ambitious? That's the most important thing, that's why I decided to come here. But this will not happen overnight, especially when you have such a big transition phase now. Then you need to have a clear goal, a clear vision of where we want to go to, and that starts with the decision makers up in front, from the management, from the board. And then if you have that synergy with the fans, the staff, and the players, everyone is included to go there. Then I'm pretty sure it will be a successful story. But we need time now. And we can only do our best day by day, breaking it down with a goal long ahead, but we've got to break it down. What is the most important thing today? What is the most important tomorrow? And if we have that approach I am really optimistic that we go in the right direction."
