Jaissle holds 7am call with Hopkinson and meets with senior players at Newcastle
Matthias Jaissle held a Monday-morning meeting with Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson before sitting down with his senior players following a difficult week on Tyneside.
According to Mark Douglas’ latest report for The iPaper, the Newcastle boss is keen to assess the team’s recent struggles and gather feedback on his methods as he looks to turn things around ahead of Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
Jaissle calls CEO David Hopkinson at 7am
Newcastle’s hierarchy are understood to be taking a calm approach to the club’s current situation, but that does not mean they are satisfied with what has unfolded over the past week.
Jaissle met with Hopkinson at the club’s KNOX training ground at 7am on Monday morning to review a difficult run of results, with us losing 4-1 away to Coventry City before a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at St James’ Park that ended in boos at the full-time whistle.
Newcastle have now lost three games in our last four, with the performances raising concerns about the team’s tactical balance, lack of cutting edge in attack and frailties defensively.
One senior source acknowledged the challenges facing the club, telling the iPaper: “We’re going through an adjustment period.”
Jaissle had warned that adapting to his methods would take time, but the recent results have increased the pressure to show signs of progress. While there is no indication of immediate panic from the club’s hierarchy, the latest setbacks have clearly prompted discussions about how to improve matters.
Jaissle meets senior players to discuss his system
Following his meeting with Hopkinson, Jaissle also held talks with Newcastle’s senior players to gather feedback on his preferred style of “vertical football”.
The German wants to ensure his squad feel comfortable with the demands of his system, which places considerable emphasis on pressing, intensity, quick forward passes and winning possession back high up the pitch.
However, Newcastle have looked vulnerable at times when attempting to execute those principles, with opponents exploiting spaces and the team struggling to find the right balance between attack and defence.
Jaissle is understood to be keen to hear how his players feel about the tactical demands being placed on them, rather than simply expecting them to adapt without discussion.
The timing feels significant, with it absolutely vital that we respond away to Crystal Palace on Sunday after back-to-back 4-1 losses in our last two matches on the road. Let's hope we see one, as another repeat of Leeds or Coventry could leave us in serious trouble.
