MusaNewcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle has criticised his players for failing to execute his tactical instructions during their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Everton at St James’ Park.
The Magpies suffered their second defeat against Everton in just five days, with Thierno Barry’s second-half goal proving decisive after the visitors had already beaten them 3-1 in last Thursday’s Carabao Cup encounter.
The latest setback has increased the pressure on Jaissle, whose Newcastle side have now lost four of their last five matches and dropped to 13th in the Premier League table.
Newcastle struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the contest, with striker Will Osula receiving little support as Everton’s defence comfortably dealt with much of the home side’s attacking threat.
The Magpies failed to register a shot on target until the 85th minute, a statistic that reflected their lack of attacking creativity and inability to put Everton under sustained pressure.
Speaking after the final whistle, Jaissle did not hide his disappointment, admitting that his players failed to reproduce the quality they had demonstrated during training.
“There is big frustration and disappointment,” the Newcastle manager said.
The German, who replaced Eddie Howe during the summer, was particularly unhappy with the difference between his team’s preparation and their performance on the pitch.
“We could not transfer what we saw in the week, training in a high level. Since the start of the game, not much was seen. That is difficult to understand.”
Jaissle believes Newcastle lacked the courage and technical quality required to play through Everton’s defensive structure, repeatedly abandoning the approach they had worked on before the match.
He explained that his players were supposed to move the ball on the ground, break through the opposition’s defensive lines and create opportunities through individual attacking situations.
Instead, Newcastle repeatedly resorted to long passes, leaving Osula isolated against Everton’s defenders.
“We were not brave enough to break the line and play on the ground. We saw it in training, but there was almost nothing to see from these aspects in the game. In possession, this was not the level we wanted to see,” he added.
Jaissle Questions Newcastle’s Dependence on Long Balls
One of the biggest concerns for the Newcastle manager was his players’ decision to repeatedly send long balls towards Osula, despite that approach not being part of the original game plan.
Jaissle suggested that the tactic was particularly ineffective because it did not suit the striker’s strengths or the type of attacking football he wanted his team to produce.
“If you just play long balls, it’s not the style Osula prefers and that was not the plan,” he said.
The Newcastle boss also accepted responsibility for the team’s failure to implement his instructions, promising to examine what went wrong during the encounter.
“We need to analyse this in depth, why we could not start the game how we planned. I’m responsible for that, to make it work.”
Jaissle insisted that Newcastle have a clearly defined playing identity and that the intention was to put Everton under pressure higher up the pitch rather than repeatedly bypass the midfield with hopeful passes.
He added: “We have a clear identity of how we want to play. To bring the opposition in stressful situations high in the pitch. We spoke about creating one-on-one situations. The plan was not to shoot the long balls.”
His comments underline the manager’s frustration with the gap between what he expected from his players and what they delivered during a difficult evening at St James’ Park.
Moyes Praises Everton’s Determination After Another Newcastle Victory
While Jaissle was left questioning his players’ performance, David Moyes had every reason to be pleased after Everton secured another important victory over Newcastle.
Thierno Barry’s second-half strike gave the Toffees all three points, completing an impressive five-day period in which they defeated the Magpies twice in two different competitions.
Moyes was quick to praise the attitude and commitment of his players, describing them as a group that continues to give everything despite the difficulties they have encountered.
“They are so good in what they do as they give everything they’ve got,” the Everton manager said.
The Scottish coach also acknowledged that his players had experienced challenging moments during the campaign but insisted that their determination to keep improving had remained clear.
“They’re a brilliant group of players and they’ve had it tough as well. They want to keep winning and they’ve found it difficult with the way things have gone, but they’re pulling it out and doing their best to be in all the games.”
Moyes also recognised the difficulty of defeating the same Premier League opponent twice within such a short period, particularly against a Newcastle side playing in front of its own supporters.
“It’s never easy… we beat Newcastle on Thursday night and to beat them again today is not an easy thing to do for any club at this level.”
He concluded by expressing his satisfaction with Everton’s performance and the importance of securing another victory away from home.
“To come here and get a good win was a great result for us.”
The contrasting reactions from both managers summed up the evening. While Moyes celebrated his team’s resilience and growing confidence, Jaissle was left with serious questions about Newcastle’s tactical discipline, attacking approach and ability to translate training-ground instructions into performances on matchday.
Musa
