Matthias Jaissle's sink or swim moment at Newcastle United
The pressure is undoubtedly growing on Matthias Jaissle. He’s very much in sink-or-swim territory, with large sections of the fanbase seemingly disillusioned with what they are seeing week to week.
Whilst nine league games feels simultaneously too early and like a decent sample size, things are threatening to unravel fast, and the German must show his mettle if he is to dig himself out of this situation.
The repeated nature of the mistakes, the tactical deficiencies and the seemingly lack of player buy-in are making his tenure all feel a little bit Steve Bruce-like, when wins were the anomalies, and United fans aren’t willing to go through that again.
Adapt and Improve
It’s been said by many smarter and more informed than me, but Jaissle would buy himself a lot of time if we could see a willingness to adapt, improve and learn from his mistakes.
He would also buy himself a lot of time if he were playing the youngsters, as fans are always willing to give them more leeway by the simple fact that we understand it can take time for young players to adapt.
Fulham away is huge in this regard because, even if we were to lose, if the team did so playing with an adapted style and improved formation, with the likes of Bamba (who?), Toure and Steur starting, I feel like fans would be willing to give Jaissle more time.
Plan B
Beyond that, a clear Plan B would also give Jaissle some breathing room. Show us those credentials that made him one of the most exciting young coaches in football. Show us a willingness to change things during games and that the players are still listening to you.
Character, fight and heart can go a long way with fans, and even if we were to see two out of three, it would be a step in the right direction, especially if it is done with a Plan B clearly on show.
Another away result like Coventry or Leeds, without any changes, would be disastrous, as it would signal that nothing has changed and that players just aren’t listening to Jaissle.
The erroneous ‘young squad’ argument
Most United fans understand the nature of the squad we have built. It’s lopsided, with young players who may not be ready on one side and ageing professionals, perhaps never good enough in the first place, on the other.
Last season, we had the fourth-oldest side in the division. This time around, we have the youngest. But with the return of Schar, Murphy, Willock and Burn against Palace, that average age rocketed to 27, so the “it’s a young side” argument pales into insignificance because it’s just not true.
It’s also damning on the recruitment side, as we were told in the summer that these youngsters were ready to play.
But when you’re having to fall back on some players who were past it two seasons ago, I simply don’t think it could be any worse for Jaissle to give the new, younger players an extended run in the side.
All moot?
Considering United paid £9 million to get him and his staff out of Al-Ahli, I wonder whether this is all moot anyway, and whether the board would even be willing to dispense with their “2.0” man this early in the piece?
What is clear is that Jaissle has already lost sections of the fanbase, and that’s rarely a recoverable position for any manager unless results drastically improve, and quickly.
The hierarchy (and I’d) also argue that the managerial pool available (of those who would realistically come to United) is almost infinitesimally small.
Resorting to a Sean Dyche-type character feels like a move the Saudis would be unwilling to make, as it would appear to signal the end of United as a top-of-the-table concern under their stewardship.
So, with all that in mind, this really does appear to be sink-or-swim time for Jaissle at United. I dearly hope it’s the latter because I’m honestly not sure where we’ll turn to next.
