Duncan Ferguson reveals 'what he's heard' about Matthias Jaissle at Newcastle in brutal verdict
Duncan Ferguson has questioned why Newcastle United replaced Eddie Howe with Matthias Jaissle this summer after their latest defeat to Everton.
Newcastle produced another woeful performance on Monday night, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Everton at St James' Park, days after the Toffees denied them a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The Toon were reduced to 10 men in the 98th minute when substitute Jacob Ramsey was sent off for a reckless challenge, which perfectly summed up their abysmal display after registering just two shots on target.
Duncan Ferguson thinks Matthias Jaissle is walking on thin ice at Newcastle
After a promising start under the German, the Magpies have now lost five of their last seven games in all competitions, with the fans on Tyneside beginning to get restless.
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Newcastle need to respond immediately to their recent defeats when they travel to Fulham on Saturday (November 7), but former striker Duncan Ferguson admits he hasn't been impressed with Howe's replacement and even questioned the decision to hire him in the first place.
Ferguson, who scored 12 goals in 41 appearances for Newcastle, said on the Overlap Daily: “So, I think fans are getting a bit restless. I don’t see it in the boy, to be honest. I don’t see why you would be bringing him from wherever he’s been brought from into the Newcastle job, after Eddie Howe had done a good job there, a very good job.
"He won them a cup, got them competitive, and they were pushing man for man up the pitch. What I’m hearing is they’re a bit more passive, a bit more negative now. So, I think he could be under pressure, that lad."
Newcastle were known for playing a high-pressing and exciting style that focused on fast transitions under Howe, whereas since Jaissle has taken over in August, the Magpies have lost their identity and the statistics make for grim reading.
Only two teams in the Premier League - newly-promoted Hull City and Coventry City - have recorded lower expected goal (xG) output than Newcastle after nine matches, as per FotMob, and this has only amplified pressure on a manager who arrived as a relatively unknown quantity from Al-Ahli.
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Newcastle stance on sacking Matthias Jaissle
While the 38-year-old's position as manager has been called into question by the fans, it was revealed on Wednesday (November 4) that Jaissle retains the full backing of the Newcastle hierarchy, with CEO David Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson prepared to remain patient.
A continued run of poor performances will only ramp up tension in the North East and force the club into a crucial decision. Newcastle are currently 13th in England's top flight, four points above the relegation zone, but also three behind sixth-place Brentford in a congested early table.
Victory over Fulham this weekend would ease some of the pressure, but the players will need to follow his instructions, having claimed they reverted to long balls and left William Osula starved of service against Everton.
"Long balls was not the plan," he began. "It's something we need to work on. We lack confidence; to come out of that, we need to stick together. We need to make a fast learning curve in the right direction.
“We could not bring him into situations. We need to jump the first lines with a clear balance on how we want to play football. Just playing long balls is for sure not the sign he (Osula) prefers.
“And it was not the plan; that is something you clearly need to mention. This is now the next step to clearly analyse it in depth, and ask why we could not start the game as we originally planned.”
Calling out his own players in the public eye never normally ends well, and many felt he had to shoulder some of the blame for Monday's defeat, as he seeks a big response at Craven Cottage.
Topics: Newcastle United, Premier League, Eddie Howe, Football News
Thomas Griffin
