Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle has attributed the Magpies' 4-1 defeat to Coventry City on Monday to individual errors rather than structural deficiencies. The loss marked a second successive 4-1 away defeat in the Premier League, following a similar scoreline against Leeds United last month, and saw Newcastle miss the chance to move fourth in the table.
Dominance without reward
Despite enjoying more possession and creating more chances than Frank Lampard's side, Newcastle were wasteful in front of goal and charitable in defence. Lukas Hornicek was at fault for the first goal, while Joelinton gave the ball away on the edge of his own penalty area for Coventry's third of the evening.
In the wake of the defeat, questions have been raised about Jaissle's setup and the lack of control in midfield, with Newcastle conceding too many chances and being overrun in the middle of the park.
Improvement claimed despite setback
When asked how he gets more control in games and finds more consistency in performances and results, Jaissle claimed Newcastle made 'an improvement' and took step forwards against Coventry, and it was those individual mistakes which cost them rather than tactical errors.
"I wish that it was just a straight line and we are improving constantly and there is no setback," Jaissle told Chronicle Live. "That would be my wish but that is not the reality in football usually and I think not reality in life."
"It's never easy after conceding four goals to talk about the structure and what causes us the problems. Against Coventry, we made too many individual mistakes, you cannot talk about formation or technical approach, these things we need to avoid or we get punished in this league."
Pressure on defenders
Jaissle also claimed Newcastle have to be more decisive in both boxes, with pressure growing on Sven Botman and Matias Fernandez-Pardo's place in the side after Dan Burn and Will Osula returned to the matchday squad. When asked whether the route to changing that is through a personnel change, Jaissle added: "I leave that open and again I refer to the injury history at the moment and the situation there."
"We are also a bit handicapped with the players in the squad and the amount who are available but in general it is on us to work on it. To avoid players who are in that position who went into these mistakes that they are not doing it again and again."
"But, of course, due to training time, putting them in these positions in training in both boxes and how to defend with that mentality, with that spirit and how to score goals with the same energy and the same desire to use every opportunity."
