Newcastle Week in Review, Monday 26th October: Jaissle Under Pressure Before Palace Win Eases the Mood
It's been a rollercoaster week for Newcastle United. The home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday left the mood sour around St James' Park, with back-to-back losses putting head coach Matthias Jaissle firmly under scrutiny (Shields Gazette) (Chronicle Live) (The Mag). Pundits and former players weighed in, with Shay Given delivering a stern public warning telling Jaissle to "get your act together" (Shields Gazette), while Chris Waddle gave a gloomy verdict on the season ahead (Northern Echo). Sky Sports pundits also questioned where the team is heading (Chronicle Live), and there was plenty of debate about Jaissle's tactical set-up, including a much-discussed system shape that critics say needs fixing (Shields Gazette) (The Mag) (Chronicle Live). Despite all the noise, reports suggested the club have made a decision not to sack Jaissle for now (TeamTalk), and Jaissle himself gave a five-word response when asked if fans still trust the process, with a PIF official reportedly present for the press conference (Chronicle Live) (Chronicle Live).
Thankfully the mood brightened on Sunday. Newcastle travelled to Selhurst Park and came away with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, with goals from William Osula and Harvey Barnes turning the game after the break (The Mag) (Chronicle Live) (BBC Sport). Jaissle spoke publicly about his half-time team talk, crediting it with releasing the "handbrake" on the team's performance (Chronicle Live). There were also selection talking points before and after the game, including the make-up of the midfield, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar's roles, and Lewis Miley being left out of the line-up (Chronicle Live) (Chronicle Live) (Chronicle Live) (Chronicle Live). Alan Shearer had named a change he'd love to see Jaissle make before kick-off (Shields Gazette), and injury and team news in the build-up suggested Dan Burn and Joelinton would be important figures, with Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey also in contention to return (Northern Echo) (Shields Gazette) (Chronicle Live).
The Aston Villa defeat itself continues to generate debate, particularly around a controversial moment involving Sven Botman and Nicolas Jackson. Pundits were split on whether Newcastle were fortunate that Botman wasn't sent off, with referees' chief Howard Webb saying there was nothing "clearly wrong" with the VAR decision not to dismiss the defender (Shields Gazette) (Newcastle World) (Sky Sports) (The Mag). Alan Shearer was also mocked on air in the aftermath of the defeat (Newcastle World), while fans and writers reflected on an uncomfortable afternoon for the team as a whole (The Mag) (The Mag).
On the transfer and contract side, there's interest reported in Newcastle potentially re-signing Nick Woltemade, who is said to be struggling for game time in Serie A under what would be his fourth manager of the year (Chronicle Live). Elsewhere, Talksport is reported to have claimed Newcastle are scouting Dyeidu Massiah (The Mag), and Ross Wilson is said to be pushing the club's African scouting network further (Shields Gazette). German media reportedly revealed Malick Thiaw turned down the chance to return to the Bundesliga (The Mag), while BBC Sport once again reported a claim that Lewis Hall wants to leave for Manchester United (The Mag) (Football365). Off the pitch, Newcastle announced a new multi-year commercial partnership with Corpay (The Mag).
The club also confirmed the emergency loan signing of Soffia Kelly (NewcastleUnited.com).
Elsewhere around the club, Newcastle confirmed a special tribute to club legend Kevin Keegan is being planned (Chronicle Live), while young defender Aidan Harris has joined National League North side Hebburn Town on loan, and academy prospect Sean Neave was praised for his performances out on loan at Wolves (Shields Gazette) (Shields Gazette) (Chronicle Live). Fans were also left frustrated by confirmation of December's Tyne-Wear derby arrangements at St James' Park, with both sets of supporters said to be unhappy (Shields Gazette), while three December Premier League fixtures have been rearranged for TV, continuing a heavy run of televised games for the Magpies (Northern Echo) (The Mag).
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