Newcastle United's 2-0 win at Tottenham on Saturday showed how Matthias Jaissle is getting his message across, with Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga delivering revitalised performances. Wissa, who struggled in his first season on Tyneside, scored his first goal of the campaign and later dubbed his new manager the club's 'best signing'.
Wissa's resurgence under Jaissle
Alan Shearer had laid down the pre-match challenge to Wissa before the trip to face Tottenham. It was well documented how much the 29-year-old struggled in his first season at Newcastle, with injuries and fitness concerns as the campaign got away from him.
He came back reinvigorated from a positive World Cup, did well in pre-season and backed it up with a player of the match display in the opening weekend draw against Liverpool. His work on and off the ball was phenomenal, but after a tough first season the challenge was to build on it rather than it being one exciting flash in the pan.
That was reiterated to him by Shearer this week. "Against Liverpool there were some really good performances, particularly from Yoane Wissa," Newcastle's record goalscorer told Betfair earlier this week. "Last season was a real disappointment for Newcastle and for him personally, but he had a decent World Cup and I thought he was absolutely outstanding against Liverpool. If that's what we can expect, then that's something to look forward to."
Elanga's new lease of life
His display against Tottenham showed it is exactly what we can expect this season as he put in another breathless display - he won the most duels of any Newcastle player for the second successive Premier League match - and backed it up with his first goal of the season. Nick Woltemade, on as a second half substitute, headed the ball down towards Wissa from Lewis Hall's inswinging corner and the DR Congo international improvised brilliantly to hook the ball past Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky to double Newcastle's lead.
Wissa used his post-match interview at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to dub his manager the 'best signing' of the lot. "For sure, Eddie Howe has done a top job at the club so we need to respect that," Wissa told Sky Sports. "But the new manager came with a new identity, and that is something we have been working on. Every part of the game is precise and, of course, he is a really dynamic manager so we need to give everything. But, yes, I think he is the best signing of Newcastle so far."
Anthony Elanga, another signing Howe really pushed for last summer, also struggled to show his best form under the former Newcastle boss. Other than Champions League performances against Barcelona and Union SG, Elanga failed to emulate the form that had seen him bag six goals and 12 assists for Nottingham Forest in the previous campaign.
A new tactical identity
Where Howe struggled to unlock the talent he believed Elanga had, Jaissle has found a way to unleash it, with the former Manchester United winger becoming the first Magpies player to score in their first two Premier League games of the season since Shearer. "Already it looks like he is getting more out of players than Eddie Howe was towards the end of last season, the likes of Elanga and Wissa," Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp commented. "Elanga with his pace looks sharp."
Elanga has already struck up an excellent partnership with right-back Amar Dedic and Newcastle continually looked long to get the pair in behind Tottenham's left-hand side. Lewis Miley and Nico Gonzalez were providing the bullets from midfield and it was the latter's stunning crossfield pass that set off the chain of events that led to Newcastle's first goal. Gonzalez found the run of Dedic in behind Andy Robertson and he nodded the ball into Elanga's path. The 24-year-old turned past Sandro Tonali and swept the ball with his left foot past Antonin Kinsky and it crashed off the post before rolling into the back of the net.
It was clear Newcastle players are picking up Jaissle's message and that ball over the top was something they had worked on in training. Elanga, Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes all had higher average positions than Wissa, who started up front, and it is clear he wants to use their athleticism to get beyond the opposition backline. Dedic and Lewis Hall were just as high as Gonzalez and Miley and it is clear Jaissle wants his full-backs to play as second wingers when Newcastle are in possession. It is bold and it is brave, and if it goes wrong, Newcastle may be on the wrong end of some hidings this season. But it is certainly exciting and it has breathed new life into a Magpies squad that badly needed it at the end of last season.
