Newcastle United were not forced into a knee-jerk reaction when faced with the dilemma of replacing Eddie Howe. Indeed, as part of Newcastle's current sporting model, a contingency plan is always waiting in the wings, regardless of how well the club or head coach are performing.
It is believed that United started to consider what sort of qualities the Magpies would need if Howe suddenly departed rather than being ill-prepared. And while Howe did eventually leave after a 12th place finish, the club were still fighting for the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and the Champions League with three months of the season to go.
Research and shortlist
Research on Howe's successor stretches back as far as February, and when Howe then suddenly changed his mind about the 2026/27 season. Howe told Toon chiefs in June he was ready to lead the charge again this season, but days into pre-season he changed his mind and informed the board of his wish to quit.
German head coach Matthias Jaissle was already on Newcastle's shortlist of possible replacements for Howe, while Chronicle Live understands enquiries were also made about ex-Ipswich Town chief Kieran McKenna. But once it became clear that McKenna was already on a "career break", Newcastle chose not to chase the Irishman because they did not feel he was the right fit this time, especially given the man he would be replacing, Howe, had left for similar reasons to McKenna after requiring a pause in management.
In any case, Newcastle are delighted with the arrival of Jaissle, and he impressed PIF, CEO David Hopkinson and director Jamie Reuben this week during an off-site meeting.
Hojbjerg on Bruno replacement list
Newcastle will replace Bruno Guimaraes with an experienced campaigner, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on the shortlist to come in before the window shuts. The Dane is being considered with sporting director Ross Wilson aware of the star from his days at Southampton. But he is one on a six-man shortlist of players that Newcastle have had the green light to bring in despite usually signing stars with sell-on potential. The 31-year-old will cost £15 million from Marseille and is open to the move if Newcastle chose to go down that road.
Jaissle's intensity
Former Newcastle boss Howe coined the phrase "intensity is our identity", but already it is clear that Jaissle and his staff are ready to take that up a notch. One insider felt that Jaissle has gone up a gear or two and that Newcastle fans will enjoy the way the German coach wants to play. Whether it proves to be the "heavy metal football" that Jurgen Klopp made famous at Liverpool remains to be seen.
Speaking on this earlier in his career Jaissle said: "Then there's Jurgen Klopp - I often looked at the transitions he put in place with Liverpool. In possession, I like how Pep Guardiola finds structure and balance. And there's a lot to take from Roberto De Zerbi's build-up as well. It's a constant learning process. And in the next few years, I'm sure there will be a different coach to draw inspiration from. It's not about copying other coaches, it's just about being inspired by them."
Hall and Schar absence explained
The duo have trained with Newcastle this week but are on separate programmes due to pre-season knocks. Schar came off early against Bristol City in the 4-1 mauling last week, while Hall has been working on upper body strength during his time in La Manga. Neither will play against Valencia and have been given the weekend off to recover from La Manga. Newcastle made it clear this week that Hall was not for sale, despite interest from Man United.
