Matthias Jaissle began his Newcastle United tenure with a 2-1 victory over Valencia in a feisty pre-season friendly, though the new head coach was quick to temper any celebrations after the final whistle. “We will not smash the locker room now and celebrate a lot,” he said. “We still have a lot to work on.”
The win was not without its drama. Anthony Elanga was stretchered off following a bad tackle from Jose Gaya, who was shown a red card for the challenge. Despite that setback, Jaissle drew encouragement from his players’ response. “Winning games always helps to gain confidence,” he said. “We also knew that we had a hard week behind us. The players did well and there was a huge commitment to see in each session, so they really deserve two days off and then we start again.”
Jaissle has inherited a squad that has undergone dramatic change. Former head coach Eddie Howe has departed, and key players Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have all left the club within the last year. On Saturday, forward Harvey Barnes was the oldest starter at 28, underlining just how significantly the squad’s average age has dropped.
Several young players made their debuts, with goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek (24), midfielder Aladji Bamba (20) and forward Toure (20) all featuring, while 18-year-old Steur made an impression from the bench. “Time is the key,” Jaissle said of his youthful group. “They’re young lads. It’s never going to be easy in football, especially at the highest level, but we’re here to do that.”
Jaissle cut an animated figure on the touchline throughout, rarely staying within his technical area and at times running alongside his players as they pushed forward. The result offered an early glimpse of what he is building at Newcastle, even if the work, by his own admission, is only just beginning.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
