Whilst it would be easy to blame Matthias Jaissle’s system, tactics and execution for the damp squib of a performance that his Newcastle United side put in against Everton, it just isn’t as simple as that.
Now the Newcastle United fanbase (including me) has a tendency to search for a scapegoat, especially when they feel their beloved football club has been disgraced by those paid extortionate amounts of money to represent the badge they hold so dearly, and they are entitled to do so.
With that being said, in the manner football fans do, I fully expect pitchforks and torches to be held aloft all across social media towards the man most easily culpable. But please hear me out when I implore you to take a second and really think about whether Jaissle deserves that this evening.
System problem or individual shortcomings?
Now if you take an unbiased view of the game without the emotion of being a fan, what were actually the problems?
Well, all three goals included some degree of individual error in at least one of the phases leading up to the eventual finish. In fact, Everton only had five shots on target in the entire game and scored three of them.
Conversely, the Magpies were rather potent in creating chances, the issue was that potency turned to timidity and indecision when it came time to actually bulge the net. Jaissle’s men created a higher xG, had nine shots on target and 28 shots in total to Everton’s 11.
Now, perhaps it is a bit strong to absolve the setup entirely of blame, as there is no doubt the openness in transition had some hand in those defensive errors occurring. But, if you ask me, those stats and objective observations would suggest that the system actually worked as expected for the large majority of the game.
To put it simply, the Magpies were nowhere near good enough in both boxes and I think it’s pretty safe to argue that Jaissle can only do so much about those specific things. I mean it’s not like he can sub himself on to finish a chance in the six-yard box or put in a last ditch tackle, is it?
Where improvements can be made
I would like to make clear that I’m not trying to say Jaissle can’t change anything, because previous games obviously suggest he can.
There are rather obvious fixes which I, and the rest of the fanbase, are becoming slightly concerned about because they aren’t being addressed.
The most prominent of which being the dysfunctionally unsustainable amount of time the game spends in transition, and the seeming inability for the Magpies to get the defensive and attacking balance right in those situations.
Along with that comes things such as the lack of structure in midfield, the fullbacks being caught too high as they are being asked to step into the forward line in build up, and the fact that we make progressing the ball through the thirds look much harder than it needs to be.
But, for the most part, I am beginning to question whether the poor bloke has simply been presented with a squad that can’t even get the footballing basics right.
Why we must give him time
As frustrating as it is, we have no other choice but to give him time, and he genuinely deserves it too.
We knew this season was going to be a tough slog at points, I mean our best manager in decades left in the summer because he didn’t think he could succeed amid all of the turmoil and change surrounding the club for a start.
Jaissle has a squad which, player for player, is arguably worse right now than the one we had back in 2021 while we were in a relegation battle, although of course the current one has a much higher ceiling.
But what I’m struggling with right now is the fact that we all knew these things before the season started and agreed as a collective that we would have to be patient. Yet, sitting 8th in the Premier League, it seems we have all forgotten that.
By no means is it perfect. But one level-headed look at the goings-on suggests that, whilst Jaissle is clearly still figuring out the best ways to implement his system, it isn’t necessarily his shortcomings that are causing the performances we are seeing.
And, if we slip into the rut of blaming him for everything and forcing him out of the door while the club is in a transition season we risk, firstly, missing out on all the benefits we could get from allowing everything to develop, and secondly, edge dangerously close to the territory of becoming one of those clubs who enter a merry-go-round in the aftermath of a successful manager leaving the club.
We simply can’t allow that to happen.
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