Matthias Jaissle's Newcastle - The good and bad fits from our current squad

Thursday's bombshell is only just starting to hit, with Eddie Howe deciding to step down almost five years on from his appointment on Tyneside.

German Matthias Jaissle is set to land the job, departing from PIF-owned Al Ahli, arriving as a highly-rated young coach (38) keen to test himself in England following successful stints in Austria and Saudi Arabia.

But how does this squad adapt to him, and who will he want based on his high-intensity style, direct approach and aggressive out-of-possession demands? This will be the most interesting part of all of this.

So, I’ve gone player by player and looked at how I think Jaissle will feel about them, after an in-depth review of his career so far yesterday.

The good fits 

Given what we know about Jaissle, these are the lads that I think he will like the most and get the most out of.

• Ewen Jaouen - Young, seems keen to sweep up. Hard to tell so far, but seems ideal
• Lukas Hornicek - Assuming that deal is done, Hornicek looks an ideal starting keeper. Good saving percentage, builds attacks, a huge unit and an all around underrated modern keeper at 24.
• Lewis Hall - Probably the best suited player to what Jaissle wants. He’s attacking, has pace, can move the ball well, and can handle pressure. New contract for Hall, build on him
• Tino Livramento - In theory, it’s the same as above for Tino. But with rumours of him wanting out, and a feeling that he’s better on the left, it could be a huge year for Tino.
• Malick Thiaw - Probably the only CB in the squad that would be picked for a Jaissle squad. Thiaw had an amazing first season. He has pace, is aggressive and can step forward. Thiaw will be key.
• Bruno Guimaraes - Look, he’s probably off, but if he stays, he’d be ideal for this side.
• Joelinton - Jaissle likes aggressive workers, and Joelinton would be an ideal warrior in midfield. With a shorter season, Joelinton could be a key player in this squad, providing he doesn't depart form Saudi.
• Lewis Miley - Given his age and experience, Miley is primed to be moulded into the ideal player for Jaissle.
• Sean Steur - Early signs are that we’ve signed a Dutch Bruno G. If so, then he’ll have a strong season under a manager who is well known to give kids a chance.
• Bazoumana Touré - Explosive, quick, direct, can invert, a threat out wide, can cut in or outside. Seems an ideal winger, and he and Elanga will likely be the wingers of choice.
• Anthony Elanga - Similar to Touré, Elanga has all the attributes to be an ideal winger, if he can show what he did at Forest.
• Aladji Bamba - If you had to lose Tonali, Bamba appears to be the ideal replacement. Jaissle will likely rely on Bamba this season. A ball winner who can move the ball, and is an absolute unit. 
• Yoane Wissa - If he can be the Brentford Wissa or something like what we saw at the World Cup, then he will likely be the club’s starting striker.
• Nick Woltemade - I will throw my hat into the ring for this one. Woltemade has issues, but with the fast, vertical style that Jaissle has used in the past, I think we could see Woltemade used as a 10. He has good footwork, can move attacks fast, and he’s massive.

The OK fits

These players will be fine; they’ll play, but look for them to get moved on in a year or be phased out. 

• Sven Botman - When fit, big Sven is a good defender. He can pass, play balls well, and, when fit, has the stamina. But he is not very fast, and if you want to play a higher line, a lack of pace at CB will kill you.
• Jacob Ramsey - The issue here will be where he plays. Ramsey may have to play in a deeper role at first; if Jaissle uses a 10 in a 4-2-3-1, it doesn’t feel like that is where Ramsey will excel. Ramsey could be a coin flip, but he’s played every game in pre-season, so I expect he starts the season. 
• Harvey Barnes - I think Barnes will start the season, but his lack of pace could hurt him. I would say his ability to cross and float balls in will come in handy if we learn to aim for the tall German striker.
• Jacob Murphy - I think, and hope, Murphy leaves. However, his crossing ability will be liked by Jaissle, and he’s fairly quick. But in a summer of resets, it makes sense to just get rid. 
• Will Osula - Full of running, he will need time, and I think he might be used back out wide. If Jaissle uses a 10, we could see Osula take on that role, of which he has the number. 

The not-so-good fits

No one here will really surprise you; it looks more like a transfer-out wishlist than anything. 

• Nick Pope - He has to go, and he won’t be the type of keeper Jaissle wants.
• Schar and Burn - we all know what Schar can do on the ball, and we all know what Burn can do in the air. But neither has pace; Burn somewhat gets away with it as he reads the game well. That said, I doubt either will leave now, so expect us to sign another CB.
• Joe Willock - The main issue for Willock won’t be his lack of quality, but the lack of position. Where does Willock play in this squad? Realistically on the LW, but it’s probably best he uses this as a chance to start fresh. 

What is the squad missing? 

This is the key area, and one the club we'll need to get in order ASAP. We have to assume the club knew this deal was happening, so we can assume the players who have joined fit what Jaissle would want, and we agree. But what is needed? 

Full back - Tino is injured, and we have only got Hall that can play full back. Ideally, we need two attacking full backs, and I think at least one of these should have some experience,  ideally the right back. 

No.10 - If Jaissle wants to play his 4-2-3-1, the club needs to work out who is playing at 10. Osula, Ramsey, Woltemade… we have options, but none of them stands out as ideal for the role. This assumes he does that, and given his track record, he may well just adapt to the squad. 

Centre-back - Ideally, we need two pacey CBs that can shift the ball. We probably won’t do this, but it’s something to look at, especially if Schar's injury isn't too clever. The smart solution would be to sign two CB/full backs who can play wide and central. That way we can kill four birds with two stones. 

Attacker - We won’t say RW or striker, but an attacker for sure to give us another option up top or a dynamic winger to replace Murphy. Ivan Toney's name is bound to crop up given his links to Newcastle and Jaissle.