Newcastle United vice-captain Joelinton has defended manager Matthias Jaissle's tactical approach, insisting it is similar to predecessor Eddie Howe's system despite mounting frustration over the team's performances.
The Magpies suffered a second consecutive Premier League defeat on Saturday evening as Johan Manzambi, a summer transfer target for Newcastle, scored the decisive goal in Aston Villa's 1-0 win at St James' Park. The result followed a disappointing 4-1 loss to Coventry a week earlier, intensifying scrutiny of Jaissle's system and whether it maximises the squad's capabilities.
Defensive Concerns and Fan Reaction
Newcastle's defensive statistics rank among the worst in the Premier League. In Saturday's defeat, the team registered just one attempt on target, which came from centre-back Sven Botman following a set-piece. The performance drew jeers from the stands at the final whistle.
Joelinton acknowledged the figures must improve but believed the team had progressed since the Coventry match. "Difficult night," he told Chronicle Live. "Disappointing result. We wanted so bad to win in front of our fans. It's difficult when you lose at home. We did a step forward in relation to the last game, but still it's not enough and we know there's things for us to improve."
Joelinton's Tactical Defence
Joelinton made his first starting appearance of the season alongside Nico Gonzalez in midfield in Jaissle's 4-2-3-1 formation. Gonzalez has often looked vulnerable this season, with the system regularly resembling a 4-1-5 or 4-1-4-1, and the lack of control in midfield has become a significant concern. This has prompted calls for a return to the 4-3-3 that served as the framework under Howe.
"I don't think it's different [to] the way we played with Eddie," Joelinton argued. "Today we played sometimes with Nico dropping in a back three, but when he was forward, we play a 4-3-3. It's just when we defend, we go to a 4-4-2. You have to ask the manager. He's talked a lot about his principles and the way he wants to play, and that's most important, it's not just the formation."
Manager Under Pressure
Jaissle, the former Al-Ahli and RB Salzburg manager, cut a frustrated figure on the touchline at the final whistle. Joelinton maintained that the 38-year-old is a "winner" and shares the squad's disappointment. "Well, of course he's like everyone, disappointed," Joelinton added. "He wants to win, he's a winner. We did better than last time. Last time was not enough. We did a step forward in terms of the way we play. But yes, it's still room for improvement. We need to work hard to, be better and we will do that."
In a final attempt to secure an equaliser against Villa, Jaissle deployed defender Dan Burn in attack. "I was just hoping he'd score," Joelinton explained. "As it's the end of the game, you know, you go for the goal and Dan's a big guy who can win the long balls, and that's what we were trying at that moment, to play long balls and see if we could get something."
Newcastle have invested £175million attempting to replace Alexander Isak, highlighting the scale of the rebuilding task facing Jaissle this campaign.
