Jaissle is facing his first bumpy spell as Newcastle boss after [back-to-back defeats](https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/dan-burn-newcastle-striker-problem-4834687?ico=in-line_link) that intensified concerns about some of the early performances at St James’ Park. There were boos on Saturday as the Magpies slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa that ended Jaissle’s honeymoon period on Tyneside.
A big part of the criticism so far is about his favoured “vertical football” style, which relies on intensity and high press but has left Newcastle looking exposed against opponents who have picked them off.
Critics have suggested it is ill-suited to the Premier League and Newcastle have looked chaotic in spells this season. But the manager believes it needs to be refined rather than ripped up.
Indeed it’s understood Jaissle will not abandon his principles in the face of the first signs of trouble – especially after frequently highlighting to the young group the benefits of playing that way – but he has sought counsel from senior players about the system and how they play their parts in it. The answers that came back were that the team were “100% committed” to the principles – including playing four at the back, a high press and intensity.
Sources close to Jaissle bristle at suggestions he is another Ruben Amorim, who paid the price for being too wed to one system. They stress he is prepared to tweak things and there’s in-built “flexibility” in his tactical set-up. Continued communication with the players – which is already a noticeable part of his strategy – will be a key thread of his approach moving forward and there is some mitigation for what’s happened in recent weeks.
There’s a belief, for example, that injuries and the lack of a specialist defensive number six – vital for his system – is part of the reason for some of the issues.
Time on the training ground and getting key men back should help. But there’s also probably a need for some understanding about what a difficult summer means for a team that deliberately lowered the age of their squad with “targeted” recruitment in the close season.
He is unhappy and frustrated at the way the last two games have gone and recognises there are issues to address. But his pre-season warning that patchy runs were to be expected during a season of “transition” stands.
Injuries have been a double whammy – depriving Jaissle of some of his key men but also leaving him without his most influential voices. Having sold their talisman Bruno Guimaraes in the summer, this is now an inexperienced group and new leaders have yet to emerge on the pitch. Insiders have noted it is a “quiet” group, which means having the likes of captain Dan Burn, Joelinton and even Anthony Elanga is crucial.
While Burn and Joelinton are now over their injuries they are still some way off match sharpness – and the i Paper understands that even though Amar Dedic was on the bench on Saturday, he was not considered match fit.
He may return at Selhurst Park but it is not believed he could play the full 90 minutes if he does feature. Dedic is important to Jaissle’s style and Newcastle’s other right-back – Tino Livramento – is still some way off full fitness.
A bigger problem at the moment is the midfield balance, with Jaissle’s system requiring a more defensive-minded number six to play a “sitting role” and soak up pressure. But so far in almost all of the games the midfield pairing has not worked as it should – with both players trying to press and getting pulled out of position. Sean Steur is hugely highly rated by Jaissle and Newcastle but that perhaps explains his omission in the last two games.
Finding an answer to that will be critical to Newcastle having more structure and organisation at Selhurst Park and beyond. But given the Magpies recruited extensively in that area over the summer, it does suggest one of their existing players may have to get used to playing deeper in the future – or adapt to a new role.
He will benefit from patience from the club’s key decision makers, at least. They describe the mood as “calm” – even if they are not satisfied by what’s happened over the last seven days.
While the Leeds game was viewed as unacceptable, there are bits to pick out of the last two matches that they can build on. The number of errors and wrong decisions – especially in the final third – are alarming, but could be rectified.
There has to be an element of understanding given the “2.0” project is a major change of direction. “We’re going through an adjustment period,” one senior source admits.
swimmingwithrocks on
From our last few games, I’m concerned that we might have the weakest squad in the league. We’re super simple to play against and we cannot for the life of us, string passes together or mount any serious attacks.
We’re allowing the opposition far too many chances in games with no reaction from ourselves. His format needs more than refinement
Aylez on
I honestly think we have a decent blueprint, but we’re completely overrun in midfield when we end up playing 3-1-6 in possession.
A simple solution could be to ask Miley to tuck into the midfield from RB, rather than bombing up the wing. We have natural wingers on the right already and a 3-2-5 would give us the solidity and control we’re missing.
redditappispoo on
Players committed despite it being dreadfully clear out midfield needs a proper 6 that the article rightfully says we don’t have. It’s just not working right now and there needs to be a change somewhere.
offinthepasture on
I think we’ve probably got to temper expectations. We’re built for two seasons from now and our most senior players have been hurt. It’s a bad recipe for consistency.
I do believe we’re going to have a rough go but still can’t see this being a relegation threatened season. We stay up, kids get experience, and hopefully Jaissle is prepared to adapt.
morocco3001 on
System doesn’t work at either end of the pitch. Needs a lot of “refining”.
20Kudasai on
I don’t get it. If having a proper defensive number 6 is key to the system working why are we trying to play out when we don’t have that 6, and why did we not buy that 6?
I can’t see many areas of overlap between jaissle’s plan and the recruitment we’ve done over the summer
ukchris on
Time on the training pitch should help?
You mean like a a 3 week international break? No Europe either?
randomise78 on
“and even Anthony Elanga” is a dig
ElPato87 on
If having ‘specialist defensive number six’ is ‘ vital for his system’ and we don’t have one, then we surely can’t play his system? That’s just what that word means in this context.
FoxGlove_113 on
Surely Nico is our proper number 6? closest weve got at the moment anyway.
He just needs to sit and let the rest of the team press.
He can press too just not like a mad man leaving gaps.
Faustinooo on
I can’t think of a good side that regularly ends up in a 316. The single CM has absolute acres of space to cover, the spaces between units are so big we don’t have anyone positioned to pick up second balls so if the CM doesn’t win the ball the opposition are just running straight at the back 3 and everyone else is sprinting back to recover.
At minimum the 10 should be deeper so we’ve got a 32 or if you’re playing Miley invert him into midfield so leave the 10 in the front line.
Trick_Bus9133 on
I think Jaissle, and the squad, needs time.
That said if “There’s a belief, for example, that injuries and the lack of a specialist defensive number six – vital for his system ” then surely there is a need to change the way we play? You cannot play a system successfully if you don’t have the type of player that is “vital” for it to work.
armarch1 on
We need a striker who can score and we haven’t got one. We made a lot of chances against Leeds and Villa but we haven’t got a striker. Wissa, Osula and willock can’t play the main striker role ( anyone who watches them can see that, honestly no idea how Wissa scored so many goals in the season before we bought him). The young Belgian is untested but looks like a creator more than a striker.
Our style depends on more chances created and more goals scored than the opposition. Without a striker we are never doing that 🤷
thethirdegg on
We don’t have anything in the centre to play like this. We need a more complete, physical striker, a number 10 who can press but also happy to have the ball in the final third, and a defensive number 6.
We don’t have any of those and the gaps are telling
EveryGrade3646 on
Not the most convincing read.
No-one has any issues with playing 4 at the back, high press & intensity. It’s how it’s being applied, in particular with his hoofball tactics in possession.
If he thinks injuries and lack of a #6 is the problem, we are in for a bumpy ride.
R-type-822753 on
I saw him in a cafe this morning, I thought Christ, he’s just a kid himself, and he looking incredibly sheepish coming in. Sure he has experience as a player and some years in management, but it’s really not an awful lot for the size of the task
Outrageous-Guide5177 on
No No ‘6’, no No 10, no No 9!!!!
Temporary_Data_4623 on
Our press is shocking and has been half hearted and sometimes none existent. Unless he’s asking the players should he start pressing
ajtct98 on
What does he expect the players to say?
“Sorry gaffer but we think your system is the absolute dribbling shits and you’re an utter lunatic for sticking to it. Please don’t drop me for Palace though mind”
shepaz_93 on
As far as I can tell, vertical football just means ignoring the midfield and sticking it into the channels every time. Not a fan.
Treqou on
I think it’s incredibly positive seeing him holding a consultation with the players to air their grievances. Would an ideological manager do that?
Kingprezdawg on
This has been quite clearly briefed by the club.
Quite frustrating that not having a “specialist defensive 6” is being rolled-out as an excuse after spending £500m over the past two summers, and collecting goal-shy forwards like they’re pokemon.
Tyson4983 on
Has he considered a pair of false 10s
HourAcadia2002 on
I appreciate the willingness to be flexible. That was what concerned me.
MarshalOverflow on
The most obvious of obvious briefings by the club.
The club are quite good at noticing the beginnings of fan discontent but my word do they use a lot of spin as a pressure valve ahead of anything tangible.
Bbobbity on
I’m sorry, if this is true it’s not a great sign. Great managers do not ask for permission to manage as they see fit.
If the players say they don’t like it, does he change? Does he consult the players on every change he makes?
Not a recipe for earning respect in the dressing room.
TyneSkipper on
If d rather he had 7am meetings with certain playe s on why they can’t pass a ball tbh
robinta on
Can Joelinton not play as a 6?
High-Contrast on
Wasn’t Nico Gonzalez meant to be our 6??
KingArthursCodpiece on
I dont think we have a player in the roster who has the maturity to take on what is effectively the most pivotal position in the ‘Mattyball’ system. I like Nico but I dont think he is quick enough (same goes for Big Joe). Unfortunately, we dont have the money to buy someone in January who fits the bill, so we either abandon 3-1-6 (which wont happen) or MJ picks out a couple of players to develop for that specific role. Only one that springs to mind right now is Hall, although I would hate not having him as our starting LB.
31 Comments
[Matthias Jaissle](https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle-matthias-jaissle-my-day-4799605?ico=in-line_link) has held a meeting with [Newcastle’s](https://inews.co.uk/topic/newcastle-united-fc?ico=in-line_link) senior players to ask them for feedback on his “vertical football” style and system and to ensure they feel “comfortable” with the demands it places on a young group.
Jaissle is facing his first bumpy spell as Newcastle boss after [back-to-back defeats](https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/dan-burn-newcastle-striker-problem-4834687?ico=in-line_link) that intensified concerns about some of the early performances at St James’ Park. There were boos on Saturday as the Magpies slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa that ended Jaissle’s honeymoon period on Tyneside.
A big part of the criticism so far is about his favoured “vertical football” style, which relies on intensity and high press but has left Newcastle looking exposed against opponents who have picked them off.
Critics have suggested it is ill-suited to the Premier League and Newcastle have looked chaotic in spells this season. But the manager believes it needs to be refined rather than ripped up.
Indeed it’s understood Jaissle will not abandon his principles in the face of the first signs of trouble – especially after frequently highlighting to the young group the benefits of playing that way – but he has sought counsel from senior players about the system and how they play their parts in it. The answers that came back were that the team were “100% committed” to the principles – including playing four at the back, a high press and intensity.
Sources close to Jaissle bristle at suggestions he is another Ruben Amorim, who paid the price for being too wed to one system. They stress he is prepared to tweak things and there’s in-built “flexibility” in his tactical set-up. Continued communication with the players – which is already a noticeable part of his strategy – will be a key thread of his approach moving forward and there is some mitigation for what’s happened in recent weeks.
There’s a belief, for example, that injuries and the lack of a specialist defensive number six – vital for his system – is part of the reason for some of the issues.
Time on the training ground and getting key men back should help. But there’s also probably a need for some understanding about what a difficult summer means for a team that deliberately lowered the age of their squad with “targeted” recruitment in the close season.
The i Paper understands that Jaissle has told his players of the need for “calm” and to try and disregard the “noise” after a week in which the team lost to [Coventry](https://inews.co.uk/topic/coventry-city-fc?srsltid=AU7gw4V9FsWnrdT-o3ETvQUSfMxFGENuyULfR8eiykRIw2elBkd097nD&ico=in-line_link) and [Aston Villa](https://inews.co.uk/topic/aston-villa-fc?srsltid=AU7gw4WLFiukmFgUMj5n5KMFYnKyNVyK01bhae6vM8yVlu6ByJcwh_yl&ico=in-line_link) and some alarming tactical trends emerged.
He is unhappy and frustrated at the way the last two games have gone and recognises there are issues to address. But his pre-season warning that patchy runs were to be expected during a season of “transition” stands.
The club share many of those sentiments. The i Paper understands Jaissle met CEO David Hopkinson at 7am at the club’s KNOX training base on Monday to assess a bruising week. Newcastle’s players had a day off but the German has already begun preparation for what now feels like a crucial game against [Crystal Palace](https://inews.co.uk/topic/crystal-palace-fc?srsltid=AU7gw4WGxMyjJG6Jmz3CCGirp-Eg8t_v5RpwvvxX97E5AyHu8WJFH9pn&ico=in-line_link).
Injuries have been a double whammy – depriving Jaissle of some of his key men but also leaving him without his most influential voices. Having sold their talisman Bruno Guimaraes in the summer, this is now an inexperienced group and new leaders have yet to emerge on the pitch. Insiders have noted it is a “quiet” group, which means having the likes of captain Dan Burn, Joelinton and even Anthony Elanga is crucial.
While Burn and Joelinton are now over their injuries they are still some way off match sharpness – and the i Paper understands that even though Amar Dedic was on the bench on Saturday, he was not considered match fit.
He may return at Selhurst Park but it is not believed he could play the full 90 minutes if he does feature. Dedic is important to Jaissle’s style and Newcastle’s other right-back – Tino Livramento – is still some way off full fitness.
A bigger problem at the moment is the midfield balance, with Jaissle’s system requiring a more defensive-minded number six to play a “sitting role” and soak up pressure. But so far in almost all of the games the midfield pairing has not worked as it should – with both players trying to press and getting pulled out of position. Sean Steur is hugely highly rated by Jaissle and Newcastle but that perhaps explains his omission in the last two games.
Finding an answer to that will be critical to Newcastle having more structure and organisation at Selhurst Park and beyond. But given the Magpies recruited extensively in that area over the summer, it does suggest one of their existing players may have to get used to playing deeper in the future – or adapt to a new role.
He will benefit from patience from the club’s key decision makers, at least. They describe the mood as “calm” – even if they are not satisfied by what’s happened over the last seven days.
While the Leeds game was viewed as unacceptable, there are bits to pick out of the last two matches that they can build on. The number of errors and wrong decisions – especially in the final third – are alarming, but could be rectified.
There has to be an element of understanding given the “2.0” project is a major change of direction. “We’re going through an adjustment period,” one senior source admits.
From our last few games, I’m concerned that we might have the weakest squad in the league. We’re super simple to play against and we cannot for the life of us, string passes together or mount any serious attacks.
We’re allowing the opposition far too many chances in games with no reaction from ourselves. His format needs more than refinement
I honestly think we have a decent blueprint, but we’re completely overrun in midfield when we end up playing 3-1-6 in possession.
A simple solution could be to ask Miley to tuck into the midfield from RB, rather than bombing up the wing. We have natural wingers on the right already and a 3-2-5 would give us the solidity and control we’re missing.
Players committed despite it being dreadfully clear out midfield needs a proper 6 that the article rightfully says we don’t have. It’s just not working right now and there needs to be a change somewhere.
I think we’ve probably got to temper expectations. We’re built for two seasons from now and our most senior players have been hurt. It’s a bad recipe for consistency.
I do believe we’re going to have a rough go but still can’t see this being a relegation threatened season. We stay up, kids get experience, and hopefully Jaissle is prepared to adapt.
System doesn’t work at either end of the pitch. Needs a lot of “refining”.
I don’t get it. If having a proper defensive number 6 is key to the system working why are we trying to play out when we don’t have that 6, and why did we not buy that 6?
I can’t see many areas of overlap between jaissle’s plan and the recruitment we’ve done over the summer
Time on the training pitch should help?
You mean like a a 3 week international break? No Europe either?
“and even Anthony Elanga” is a dig
If having ‘specialist defensive number six’ is ‘ vital for his system’ and we don’t have one, then we surely can’t play his system? That’s just what that word means in this context.
Surely Nico is our proper number 6? closest weve got at the moment anyway.
He just needs to sit and let the rest of the team press.
He can press too just not like a mad man leaving gaps.
I can’t think of a good side that regularly ends up in a 316. The single CM has absolute acres of space to cover, the spaces between units are so big we don’t have anyone positioned to pick up second balls so if the CM doesn’t win the ball the opposition are just running straight at the back 3 and everyone else is sprinting back to recover.
At minimum the 10 should be deeper so we’ve got a 32 or if you’re playing Miley invert him into midfield so leave the 10 in the front line.
I think Jaissle, and the squad, needs time.
That said if “There’s a belief, for example, that injuries and the lack of a specialist defensive number six – vital for his system ” then surely there is a need to change the way we play? You cannot play a system successfully if you don’t have the type of player that is “vital” for it to work.
We need a striker who can score and we haven’t got one. We made a lot of chances against Leeds and Villa but we haven’t got a striker. Wissa, Osula and willock can’t play the main striker role ( anyone who watches them can see that, honestly no idea how Wissa scored so many goals in the season before we bought him). The young Belgian is untested but looks like a creator more than a striker.
Our style depends on more chances created and more goals scored than the opposition. Without a striker we are never doing that 🤷
We don’t have anything in the centre to play like this. We need a more complete, physical striker, a number 10 who can press but also happy to have the ball in the final third, and a defensive number 6.
We don’t have any of those and the gaps are telling
Not the most convincing read.
No-one has any issues with playing 4 at the back, high press & intensity. It’s how it’s being applied, in particular with his hoofball tactics in possession.
If he thinks injuries and lack of a #6 is the problem, we are in for a bumpy ride.
I saw him in a cafe this morning, I thought Christ, he’s just a kid himself, and he looking incredibly sheepish coming in. Sure he has experience as a player and some years in management, but it’s really not an awful lot for the size of the task
No No ‘6’, no No 10, no No 9!!!!
Our press is shocking and has been half hearted and sometimes none existent. Unless he’s asking the players should he start pressing
What does he expect the players to say?
“Sorry gaffer but we think your system is the absolute dribbling shits and you’re an utter lunatic for sticking to it. Please don’t drop me for Palace though mind”
As far as I can tell, vertical football just means ignoring the midfield and sticking it into the channels every time. Not a fan.
I think it’s incredibly positive seeing him holding a consultation with the players to air their grievances. Would an ideological manager do that?
This has been quite clearly briefed by the club.
Quite frustrating that not having a “specialist defensive 6” is being rolled-out as an excuse after spending £500m over the past two summers, and collecting goal-shy forwards like they’re pokemon.
Has he considered a pair of false 10s
I appreciate the willingness to be flexible. That was what concerned me.
The most obvious of obvious briefings by the club.
The club are quite good at noticing the beginnings of fan discontent but my word do they use a lot of spin as a pressure valve ahead of anything tangible.
I’m sorry, if this is true it’s not a great sign. Great managers do not ask for permission to manage as they see fit.
If the players say they don’t like it, does he change? Does he consult the players on every change he makes?
Not a recipe for earning respect in the dressing room.
If d rather he had 7am meetings with certain playe s on why they can’t pass a ball tbh
Can Joelinton not play as a 6?
Wasn’t Nico Gonzalez meant to be our 6??
I dont think we have a player in the roster who has the maturity to take on what is effectively the most pivotal position in the ‘Mattyball’ system. I like Nico but I dont think he is quick enough (same goes for Big Joe). Unfortunately, we dont have the money to buy someone in January who fits the bill, so we either abandon 3-1-6 (which wont happen) or MJ picks out a couple of players to develop for that specific role. Only one that springs to mind right now is Hall, although I would hate not having him as our starting LB.