When Newcastle United won the Carabao Cup in 2025, ending their 70-year wait for a trophy in the process, it was as if one curse ended and another started.
It has been a tumultuous time ever since. On a historic day at Wembley, Liverpool decided they had seen enough from Alexander Isak to splash out a then-record fee in the summer that followed. And that started a disastrous trend for those on Tyneside, who lost Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali just one year later.
Even Eddie Howe decided to jump ship in the summer. What was supposed to be the start of a historic Newcastle era is threatening to become nothing more than a fleeting moment of success featuring Matthias Jaissle’s failure.
Where Jaissle is going wrong at Newcastle
Jaissle has very much looked the part since stepping into the dugout at St James’ Park. The expensive suits, the poised look and the modern ideas were all supposed to form a manager ready to lead Newcastle into a new era. That look is beginning to fade very quickly, however.
Jaissle’s system promised excitement and goals aplenty – two things that the end of Howe’s tenure lacked. A 2-2 draw with Liverpool on the opening day left Newcastle fans in an optimistic mood. That optimism is now evaporating by the week.
Reports suggest that not every player has bought into the new manager’s ideas. The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has revealed that the Newcastle players have been left confused by what Jaissle wants from them and that is showing on the pitch.
Jaissle’s way of playing is centred around high-intensity pressing. It is very much the German way, stemming from Jurgen Klopp and former RB Leipzig director Ralf Rangnick.
That idea, on paper, should create an attacking but vulnerable side. So far, however, Newcastle have scored just 12 goals in nine Premier League games and scored more than one goal in a single game just once in their last five outings in all competitions.
That’s the biggest problem for Jaissle to solve. As things stand, his press is ineffective and Newcastle are incredibly vulnerable.
The best candidates to replace Jaissle
With players left confused by what Jaissle wants, results failing to arrive, and recruitment likely to be limited, the writing could be on the wall for the manager just months into his spell on Tyneside.
As the international break approaches, Newcastle could turn to a number of options. Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot is still available just six months after losing his job at Anfield. He left with plenty of criticism, but it’s worth remembering that he is a Premier League winner.
Tactically speaking, the Dutchman quickly became known for his attention to detail, even if it did come at a cost for physicality. By hiring Slot, Newcastle would turn the focus away from intensity and towards control. Whether that change would benefit the current squad is the big question.
If the Magpies are looking to stick with a high-pressing approach, then there is only one man for the job. By ditching Jaissle and turning towards his talented compatriot, those at St James’ Park could land their own Jurgen Klopp.
How Newcastle can hire their biggest name since Keegan
After Howe, Newcastle had to be more ambitious. Whether they liked or not, the former Bournemouth manager took them as far as he could and even grabbed silverware along the way.
The reason PIF acquired Newcastle in the first place was to turn the Magpies into title winners. That ambition has been lost amid PSR threat and poor recruitment, but it can still be rediscovered.
The Saudi owners must make up for lost time and ditch Jaissle before hiring Julian Nagelsmann. Dubbed the “best young coach in Europe” by journalist Josh Bunting, the German would be the ultimate upgrade at St James’ Park.
His sides are known for their pressing, and effective pressing at that too. This is a manager who has won titles with Bayern Munich and taken charge of Germany at the World Cup. Nagelsmann would be the biggest name that Newcastle have welcomed into the dugout since Kevin Keegan.
|
Julian Nagelsmann vs Matthias Jaissle |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats |
Bayern 21/22 |
Newcastle 26/27 |
|
Turnovers Per 90 |
9.9 |
5.78 |
|
Goals Per 90 |
2.85 |
1.3 |
|
Goals Against Per 90 |
1.1 |
1.6 |
Klopp was the last manager who truly brought the German way to English football with great success. Nagelsmann has been tipped to follow his path for some time, enjoying an impressive rise with Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and then Bayern Munich.
Whilst Jaissle’s press is failing at Newcastle, resulting in just 5.78 turnovers per game, Nagelsmann’s was one of the most impressive in Europe at Bayern Munich.
Newcastle had the right idea when hiring a manager who wants his sides to press, but they simply chose the wrong option to implement that approach in the summer.
