Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle United's new head coach, has urged fans to "keep the optimism" as the club navigates a "transition phase" following the sale of three key players. The 38-year-old German, who was formally unveiled at St James' Park on Tuesday, acknowledged the challenge of replacing Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimarães, describing the situation as a "vacuum."
Jaissle, formerly of Al-Ahli and RB Salzburg, made a memorable entrance at his unveiling, shaking hands with every journalist in the media suite before taking his seat. Wearing an understated open-necked suit, he expressed excitement about his first managerial role in Europe's top five leagues, but tempered it with realism about the task ahead.
Transition and Optimism
"This is now a vacuum as you call it," Jaissle said in his excellent English. "They were great characters, great players, experienced players. Obviously we are in that transition phase. My job is to make the best out of it all. I am quite optimistic."
He added: "We are ambitious, that's the most important thing and why I decided to come here. But it will not happen overnight. I'm pretty sure it will be a successful story. But we need time now."
Jaissle revealed regular chats with England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who was his youth coach at Stuttgart, will help him adapt to the Premier League. "It's been a long connection," he said. "Thomas was my youth coach when I was a youth player at Stuttgart. He was amazing, I really admire him. He's a really special coach and I'm looking forward to staying in touch with him, and getting insights on the league."
Fan Support and Cultural Adaptation
Newcastle fans have already embraced Jaissle, adapting the 1970s Euro-disco hit "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" into "Oh Jaissle I can boogie/You try me once, you'll beg for more." The chant was heard during the friendly win in Valencia last Saturday, where Newcastle beat Valencia 2-1 in Jaissle's first pre-season game in charge.
"All my staff members already said they're looking forward to sitting after a match in the bar and listening to the song," Jaissle said. "I heard it once and I was smiling. I'm really happy the fans already appreciate me a lot. The welcome from the fans was unbelievable when I was having a walk yesterday in the city."
Jaissle, described by Newcastle's chief executive David Hopkinson as "fire" and "a rock star," has a clear footballing philosophy: "Front foot, intense, aggressive, vertical and, of course, also successful."
Challenges and Future Plans
Newcastle's compliance with football's spending rules has led to a pivot towards signing young players with high resale potential, with four of their five summer signings so far aged 20 or younger. Jaissle acknowledged the uncertainty, saying: "I'm long enough in the industry now that you cannot promise anything. It makes no sense to promise you things now because I don't know how things will look in one year. But it doesn't make sense to see the negative. There will be more adjustments to the squad this summer. We still have time."
Newcastle are in ongoing talks with Benfica over a potential move for 23-year-old full-back Amar Dedic, who played under Jaissle at Salzburg and can operate on both flanks. Jaissle expressed excitement about the club's future, recalling his first visit to St James' Park: "When I entered the pitch here with my assistant coaches for the first time, we were looking at each other with smiles and goosebumps. It's really special, an amazing stadium. I can't wait to see it full."
Reflecting on the call that led to his appointment, Jaissle said: "When I received the call at the end of July and it was clearly most likely Eddie would quit there were no doubts or question marks. I had a big smile."
