Newcastle Round-Up, Friday 23rd October: Jaissle Faces Mounting Pressure as Crystal Palace Clash Looms
Friday brought a heavy focus on Matthias Jaissle's press conference as he prepares his side for Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace. The head coach confirmed he has been in dialogue with his players and with the club's "decision-makers" about his style of play, addressing criticism head-on (Shields Gazette). He also hit back at the St James' Park boos from the Aston Villa defeat, using the word "deliver" as he insisted the team must respond (Newcastle World). Asked whether fans still trust the process, Jaissle gave a brief five-word reply, with a PIF official reportedly present in the room for the press conference (Chronicle Live). Elsewhere, he addressed Sean Steur's lack of game time after the midfielder failed to feature in the defeats to Coventry City and Aston Villa, with comments that supporters may not welcome (Newcastle World).
The pressure on Jaissle is clearly building. Sports Mole reports that Newcastle's stance on his future has "been revealed" amid growing concerns following the recent dip in form (Sports Mole). BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton described the current situation at the club as "chaotic" (BBC Sport) (The Mag), while The Mag has questioned why issues weren't sorted during the international break (The Mag) and highlighted a breakdown in the team's shape against Aston Villa under the banner of "Vertical Football" (The Mag). Shields Gazette outlined three issues - including a "bizarre" 3-1-6 system and a reported £20m snub - that Jaissle must fix to silence critics (Shields Gazette), while former Newcastle forward Duncan Ferguson has urged the club to follow Mikel Arteta's example amid the unrest (Chronicle Live). Meanwhile, speculation continues over Eddie Howe, with reports suggesting Manchester United would consider the former Newcastle boss a "standout" candidate if they part ways with Michael Carrick, though Howe has reportedly already made his decision on the role (Chronicle Live).
On team news, Jaissle gave an update on Anthony Elanga, Jacob Ramsey and Matias Fernandez-Pardo ahead of the Palace game (NewcastleUnited.com) (Sports Mole) (Shields Gazette). Newcastle also released a major statement on Elanga's injury, easing some long-term absence fears after his promising start to the season was interrupted (Chronicle Live), while an official club injury update was issued ahead of the Selhurst Park trip (The Mag). Tino Livramento has suffered a fresh setback, with a knee issue picked up in training leaving his return date unclear (Shields Gazette). The improving injury picture elsewhere means Jaissle faces a tricky call over Lewis Miley's involvement (Chronicle Live), and there's also a Harvey Barnes selection question doing the rounds (The Mag).
In squad news, a 19-year-old striker has been called up to first-team training following a free transfer in the summer (Newcastle World), while 6ft 4in teenager Afner Ca has been placed on standby for the Palace match after featuring in the squad against Aston Villa (Chronicle Live). Newcastle have also sent a goalkeeper out on a short-term loan following the Nick Pope situation and a Champions League call-up elsewhere (Newcastle World). On the scouting front, Ross Wilson is said to be pushing to expand Newcastle's network in Africa as the club hunts for the "next African superstar" (Shields Gazette).
Away from Tyneside, loanee Nick Woltemade continues to impress at Juventus, scoring his third goal for the Italian club and equalling a club record, with Italian media reportedly changing their tune on him after earlier criticism (Chronicle Live) (Newcastle World). Former Magpie Garang Kuol, who left last year after his move under Eddie Howe didn't work out, was back on UK television against Brighton & Hove Albion as he looks to rebuild his career (Chronicle Live). In non-league news, former Newcastle academy midfielder Lucas De Bolle has rejoined South Shields FC for a second spell (Shields Gazette).
Looking ahead to Sunday, both Palace and Newcastle are searching for a kickstart to their seasons, with The Guardian noting that both Pierre Sage and Jaissle were appointed in the summer and have endured difficult starts shaped by injuries and tactical issues (The Guardian). NewcastleWorld has picked out their preferred XI for the trip, including a formation change and bold calls on a couple of big-money signings (Newcastle World).
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