Just like that, on an unremarkable Thursday morning, Eddie Howe’s time as Newcastle United manager came to an end. It was completely out of the blue and left fans wondering what had gone on behind the scenes. I am sure we will get to know more as the dust settles.
But for now, Newcastle United need to find a replacement for Howe. The Englishman might have faced his fair share of criticism in recent times, but nobody can deny what he achieved at St James’ Park.
Howe guided the club to League Cup glory. And one could argue that he overdelivered on more than one occasion in the Premier League as well, securing European qualification multiple times.
So, finding a replacement for Howe will not be easy. But the Magpies seem to have done so with swiftness. According to TEAMtalk, an agreement in principle is now in place for Al-Ahli boss Matthias Jaissle to take over as Newcastle United manager.
Newcastle United agree deal with German manager to replace Eddie Howe
Jaissle has been considered one of the brightest managers in footballing circles for quite some time. But he is not a household name by any means.
So, it is not hard to see why not many fans might be impressed if he does indeed end up getting the Newcastle United job. Afterall, the 38-year-old has never managed at the top level.
At Newcastle United, he would be walking into a difficult situation as well. This is a team that finished 12th in the Premier League last season. On top of that, players like Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have left. Club captain Bruno Guimaraes could be set to follow, and who can blame him after how things have played out.
So, Jaissle would be getting handed a very tough job, one that might require someone with a lot more experience in these situations. That being said, one cannot always look at the cons. There are plenty of positives worth focusing on as well.
Matthias Jaissle is a prodigy
Jaissle might just be special. Yes, I know that is a bold statement to make. But at the same time, you just need to have a look at his record to figure out this is a manager that knows how to get the best out of his team.
At RB Salzburg, he won two league titles and an Austrian Cup in two years. One could argue that you expect them to win, as they have been the best team in Austria consistently for years now.
You cannot make that argument for what he has achieved at Al-Ahli though. His team have won back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles, the most important in Asian club football, and a Saudi Super Cup as well. In the league, they have finished third twice in three years under Jaissle. To give you context about how impressive that is, they were playing in the second division in the 22/23 campaign.
Will Jaissle’s brilliance translate to Premier League level? That is impossible to predict. But this is a manager worth taking a risk on. And it looks like that is exactly what Newcastle United are about to do.
