Matthias Jaissle joined up with his Newcastle players at their pre-season camp in La Manga over the weekend, days after the club confirmed the 38-year-old German as Eddie Howe’s successor on a four-year contract.

Newcastle paid £9.5m in compensation to Saudi side Al Ahli for a coach who has just won back-to-back Asian Champions League titles in Jeddah.

Sporting director Ross Wilson called Jaissle “one of the most exciting and highly regarded young coaches in football” and said his philosophy was “strongly aligned” with the club’s vision.

The squad Jaissle is inheriting looks very different from the one Howe left behind. Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali have already been sold this summer, and captain Bruno Guimarães left the Brazil camp for a medical at Arsenal after the London club agreed a £75m fee for the Brazil international.

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‘They are not stupid’

Former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness told Football Insider the dressing room will be dissecting Jaissle’s opening sessions in real time.

“Players are hyper-critical and very observant,” Wyness said. “They know what good management looks like and shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Wyness argued that Newcastle were “changing their identity almost midstream” and questioned whether the senior players who thrived under Howe would take to a very different coach. His advice to Jaissle was to hope for a lucky start and to avoid injuries.

A Red Bull graduate steps in for Howe

Jaissle came through the Red Bull coaching pathway, guiding Salzburg to consecutive Austrian league and cup doubles before moving to Al Ahli in 2023. He describes his football as “front-footed, aggressive, vertical” and built on high pressing from the front.

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That is a marked departure from Howe’s more measured approach. Howe left the role at the end of July after nearly five years in charge, citing a period of personal reflection following a season in which Newcastle finished 12th and missed out on European qualification.

Jaissle takes his squad to the Mestalla on Saturday for his first pre-season fixture against Valencia.

His competitive debut comes on 23 August, when Liverpool visit St James’ Park at 4:30pm local time to open the Premier League season.

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