Was Matthias Jaissle Worth the Risk for Newcastle United?

Eddie Howe’s five-year tenure at Newcastle United has come to an unexpected end, leaving the club facing a crucial decision about its next chapter. As a replacement, Newcastle turned to one of Germany’s most exciting young coaches, Matthias Jaissle.

On paper, the German manager appears to be an attractive option to take charge at St James’ Park. His high-intensity football and aggressive approach can appeal to fans looking for a successor to Eddie Howe. Not only that, the manager’s ability to work with young players is also an attractive trait of his. However, beneath his interesting profile lie several questions. Can his recent success in the Austrian and Saudi leagues continue in the most competitive league in the world? And was Newcastle paying 11 million euros just to bring him actually worth it?

Matthias Jaissle was appointed as Newcastle United’s new head coach

But who is Matthias Jaissle? Matthias Jaissle’s coaching career developed through the Red Bull football system, one of the most modern and influential systems in Europe. After working with RB Leipzig’s youth teams and FC Liefering, he became the head coach of Red Bull Salzburg in 2021, at just 33 years old.

The young manager immediately achieved success at Salzburg, where he won Austrian domestic trophies and guided the club to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

In 2023, Jaissle moved to Al-Ahli Saudi FC, where he managed international stars such as Ivan Toney, Riyad Mahrez, and Édouard Mendy, proving that he can also work with proven stars, not just youngsters.

Jaissle’s tactics can be described in two words: intensity and aggression. He focuses on high pressing, vertical attacking football, and physicality.

Jaissle mostly used 4–3–1–2 and 4–4–2 formations. Throughout his career, these formations accounted for over 70% of his tactical setups (Total Football Analysis). Jaissle liked to use fast attackers who could relentlessly press the opposition’s back line. However, he also proved that he could approach the game with flexibility, using the 4–2–3–1 formation during his time at Al-Ahli.

Jaissle is well-known for his front-foot style, as he had one of the highest xG/xA rates in the Austrian Bundesliga (Total Football Analysis). He counter-attacks quickly after winning the ball back, which leads to lots of good chances for his team.

Talking about high pressing, Jaissle’s Salzburg were one of the best pressing teams in Europe. His pressing system involved advanced full-backs and proactive attempts to win the ball back. Looking at the data, the young manager had the highest challenge intensity (attempts to win the ball back) in the Champions League and one of the lowest PPDA (Passes Allowed Per Defensive Action), highlighting their high pressing and intensity in defensive duels (Total Football Analysis).

When Jaissle’s team has the ball, they use the field wide. The manager pushes his full-backs and midfielders widely, creating numerical advantages in wide areas and actively generating overlaps.

Jaissle’s ability to maximize the potential of young players is also a critical part of his value. During his time with the RB Leipzig youth teams and Red Bull Salzburg, Jaissle’s attacking football got the best out of explosive and raw young talents. He also showed that he can manage young players through his experience of working with young players such as Karim Adeyemi and Benjamin Šeško.

The manager’s ability to get the best out of young talents would have been one of the strongest reasons for Newcastle to appoint the young manager as their vision for the club recently shifted from a win-now approach to developing young players. The German manager’s value does not only come from his football identity but the fact that he can turn young players into valuable assets.

Lastly, Jaissle can be a key part of Newcastle’s long-term project. As Newcastle changed their direction to making a young squad, a young manager like Jaissle would have strongly interested them. Jaissle is not only a manager who can bring immediate success, but he can grow alongside the long-term project that Newcastle is planning. The club probably saw the manager as one of their long-term plans.

Now comes the important question: Will Jaissle fit the Newcastle squad? The answer is, yes, but there will be some clear drawbacks.

Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall could be key players in Jaissle’s system

The biggest reason Jaissle could succeed at Newcastle is his use of full-backs. Newcastle have Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, two of the most progressive full-backs in the Premier League. With these attack-minded full-backs, the German manager can allow the defensive line to push higher.

Another great trait is that Newcastle have a very energetic and young squad. Players such as Yoane Wissa and Joelinton bring intensity and physicality to the team throughout matches. Newcastle also have the pace that Jaissle prefers, with players such as Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes capable of attacking space quickly. With this mobile and dynamic squad, Jaissle could translate many of the attacking principles from his Salzburg team to Newcastle.

However, there are some big concerns. One major concern is the center-back position. Jaissle’s system requires defenders who can cover large spaces behind a high defensive line. Newcastle do have some quicker centre-back options, such as Malick Thiaw, but other center-backs such as Dan Burn or Fabian Schär would have a hard time covering the wide spaces behind them. In order for Jaissle to succeed, he would need much more defenders who can cover the spaces in wide areas or he would need to change his game plans like he did when he was in Al-Ahli.

Another insecurity is that Jaissle is highly inexperienced. Despite his success in the Austrian and Saudi leagues, Jaissle has not yet proven himself at the highest level of European football. Also, since the physicality and quality of the Premier League are far greater than in the Austrian and Saudi leagues, he would need some time to adapt to the brand new league.

Lastly, his approach to the game is different from Eddie Howe, who influenced the players and shaped the squad for the last five years. Unlike Eddie Howe, who emphasized structure, flexibility, and control, Jaissle is more vertical, focused on transitions, and presses high for the entire game. Players will have to take their time adapting to Jaissle’s game plans.

In conclusion, was it worth it for Newcastle to pay 11 million euros to bring this young coach from Saudi Arabia? My answer is no, it was not worth it. Jaissle is a manager with a potential to be one of the most exciting manager in Europe but he is simply inexperienced. He lacks experience managing clubs in a major European league. Just like any other promising young manager who challenge for the Premire League Jaissle may not adapt to the Premire League.

Young managers can either become long-term successes or fail to adapt. Can Jaissle prove media wrong and be successful? Or will he just be another “promising manager” who eventually fails? Either way, Open Play Studio will always wish him the best for his new challenge with Newcastle United.