Newcastle United have set their sights on an “unbelievable” manager, with Matthias Jaissle now under increasing pressure.
Eddie Howe was a difficult act to follow, having guided Newcastle to the Champions League twice and won the EFL Cup, and Jaissle has been struggling during the first few months of the campaign.
The Magpies are now without a win in three matches across all competitions, losing twice against Everton before playing out a 1-1 draw against Fulham on Saturday, in which Jacob Murphy’s late opener was cancelled out by Rodrigo Muniz just minutes later.
However, Jaissle was encouraged by the performance against the Cottagers, saying: “A step in the right direction after the last performance. That’s something we can really build on.
“I think there were occasions also to win that game. Of course, the disallowed goal, a soft one, I would say. I see it different then also a big chance at the end. Then you should go home with three points but one point and a performance is something we can work on.”
|
Matthias Jaissle’s managerial record |
Matches |
Points per match |
|
Newcastle |
12 |
1.42 |
|
Al-Ahli |
138 |
2.15 |
|
Red Bull Salzburg |
92 |
2.28 |
|
FC Liefering |
17 |
2.12 |
It is still relatively early days for the 38-year-old, but he is averaging the lowest number of points per match throughout his career to date, and the board have now started looking at potential replacements, with a former Premier League manager among the options.
Newcastle looking at Kieran McKenna as Matthias Jaissle replacement
According to reporter Alan Nixon (via GiveMeSport), Newcastle are now eyeing a move for Kieran McKenna, having considered the ex-Ipswich Town manager before appointing Jaissle back in the summer.
After guiding the Tractor Boys to promotion from the Championship for the second time last season, McKenna opted to leave, and he is still available, although his former employers would be due compensation if he were to move to St. James’ Park.
Interestingly, however, Nixon notes that it would be cheap to sack Jaissle, so the overall operation may not be particularly costly, and the Englishman could be a solid replacement, given what he achieved at Portman Road.
In total, the 40-year-old led Ipswich to three promotions, and he was lauded as an “unbelievable manager” by former player Kieffer Moore the first time he guided them to the top flight.
It was a major achievement for the former Man United coach, who prefers to use a 4-2-3-1 formation, given that when he took over, Ipswich were a mid-table League One side.
As such, it is no surprise Celtic have identified McKenna as their top target to replace Martin O’Neill, which means the Magpies may have to move swiftly to secure his signature.
However, Newcastle’s one concern may be the fact the former Ipswich boss is relatively inexperienced in the top flight, and he was unable to avoid relegation in the 2024-25 campaign, with his side winning just four Premier League matches all season.
