Howe certainly set the standard.
The Englishman took charge of a side in relegation trouble, kept them up, then went on to end Newcastle’s long wait for silverware by winning the EFL Cup in 2025 – and also qualified for the Champions League on multiple occasions.
However, last season was a bruising one domestically – Newcastle finished in 12th place – and Howe watched Alexander Isak, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon leave within a year.
Newcastle are set to lose a fourth key player too, with captain Bruno Guimaraes heading to Arsenal.
They need a progressive manager to start a new cycle following Howe’s decision to step down – and build on what he did at the peak of his reign.
Effectively, Jaissle’s remit will be to develop players and outperform clubs with bigger wage bills. And Newcastle’s squad should expect him to be just as demanding as his predecessor in training.
“We did lots of small-sided games to keep the intensity high and if someone had not been giving it their all, he called them out on it,” said former Salzburg midfielder Zlatko Junuzovic.
“He’s not afraid to address things head-on.”
Jaissle has quickly had to get to know a new set of players, but he will encounter a group who are already used to similar principles from their time under Howe, as well as new young signings who are eager to learn.
He also brings with him a group of coaches and analysts who will look to quickly get his message across.
Al-Ahli defender Merih Demiral knows that better than most.
“Looking forward to going to training every day was so important,” he added. “They paid great attention to every detail and always made sure we were fully prepared.
“Matthias has built a really strong team around him and they played a huge role in our success.”
Jaissle and his staff will be working with a squad whose average age has dropped significantly this summer.
However, the German will still rely on experienced heads such as Dan Burn and Fabian Schar in the dressing room.
Jaissle, a former defender with Hoffenheim, was a few months younger than Junuzovic when he took charge of Salzburg in 2021.
But he did not shirk in telling the midfielder he would find it difficult playing alongside the younger players in the side.
Jaissle challenged Junuzovic to improve and earn his place in the starting line-up, and “kept his word” when he did.
“He understands the players’ language,” the former Austria international said.
Leave a Reply