Newcastle United are publicly backing head coach Matthias Jaissle after a difficult start to his reign, but that support comes with conditions attached. The German has faced criticism following a home defeat to Everton on Monday night, just nine league games into his tenure.
Costly Investment and Early Struggles
The club paid £9million for Jaissle, who was described as a 'rock star' and built up as the future of the club's 2.0 project. Reversing course at the first sign of trouble would be a significant climbdown, which is one reason the owners are standing by him.
Newcastle have briefed that Jaissle has the full support of owners PIF and the men on the ground, sporting director Ross Wilson and Hopkinson. However, this is a tough period that should have been foreseen, with the club losing its most successful manager in 70 years weeks before the season started and seeing its three best players depart in the summer transfer window.
A Difficult Hand and a Dire Display
Jaissle has been left with a squad lacking the quality needed to challenge for the top eight. The team has no Bruno, Sandro or Anthony Gordon, while Kieran Trippier's leadership is now at Molineux and Isak remains unreplaced. In their place is a squad of players who have seen better days or whose best days are likely three years away.
It has been 91 days since Jaissle's official appointment. He impressed Wilson at his job interview, but his first 100 days have been marked by a poor performance that drew boos from fans inside St James' Park at the final whistle. The display was described as dire, with a lack of creativity and defensive nous suggesting a team poorly drilled and lacking confidence.
Time Needed, But Not Unconditional
Jaissle blamed his players for going against his instructions, a comment that was reported by Chronicle Live. While a new manager needs time to embed his philosophy and build relationships, any backing comes with an asterisk and cannot be unconditional.
Eddie Howe took around 10 games to get Newcastle going, with a 1-0 win over Leeds United coming 75 days after his appointment. However, Howe had more than 500 games of managerial experience and five seasons in the Premier League by that point. If results do not improve, or at least show signs of improvement, a difficult conversation may be needed. PIF cannot allow Newcastle to get sucked into a relegation scrap, as there is too much riding on the project.
