Newcastle United's hierarchy have given Matthias Jaissle their full backing despite back-to-back defeats by Everton, with sporting director Ross Wilson behind the German "100%" and January investment promised instead of a knee-jerk sacking.
Monday night's 1-0 home defeat by Everton — Thierno Barry's winner completing a second Toffees victory over Newcastle in four days, after the Carabao Cup exit at Goodison Park — left the Magpies 13th in the Premier League, with just one win since September and five defeats in their last seven games in all competitions. Jaissle was booed by his own supporters at St James' Park, and reports on Tuesday evening even linked former Liverpool boss Arne Slot with his job.
No overreaction: Wilson and Hopkinson stand firm
Those Slot reports have been dismissed inside the club as unfounded. According to TEAMtalk, the hierarchy have absolutely no intention of making a knee-jerk decision, insisting there will be no "overreaction" to a difficult run during the early stages of a long-term project. Wilson personally identified Jaissle as the man to succeed Eddie Howe in the summer and remains behind the 38-year-old 100%.
The Chronicle, via SportBible, reports the same message from the top of the club: Jaissle retains the full backing of chief executive David Hopkinson and Wilson, who are prepared to remain patient and believe the poor results are down to everyone involved, rather than just the head coach.
A rebuild that ripped out the spine
The context matters. Newcastle spent around £265 million in the summer, but the rebuild followed the departures of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon — with Alexander Isak having already left for Liverpool in 2025. TEAMtalk puts the combined fees for the departed stars at £369 million, and all eight of the summer arrivals were aged under 24 as the club deliberately moved towards a younger squad built to develop together.
The Telegraph has reported that the playing squad themselves believe the gambles taken in that window are the main reason for the slow start. Jaissle, meanwhile, pointed the finger at his players' execution after Monday's defeat, admitting they ignored the game plan: "Long balls was not the plan. 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." The club, for their part, are understood to be increasingly frustrated by suggestions that some players have been briefing against the project in recent weeks, and have made clear that will not be tolerated.
So what happens next?
Backing in November is only worth something if results turn. Newcastle return to action at Fulham on Saturday, November 7, and the run after the international break is unforgiving — Arsenal at home, Brighton away, Manchester United at home and then the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland. January now becomes the board's proof of faith: Wilson and the recruitment department are ready to strengthen the squad and give Jaissle the additional tools the current group has lacked.
If the wins do not come before that window opens, the patience being shown this week will be tested all over again — backing a manager is easy in a statement, and much harder in a stadium that has already started booing.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is the right call, and a rare one. Newcastle ripped the spine out of a Champions League side in one summer, replaced it with players under 24, and handed the project to a 38-year-old coach — sacking him in November would not fix the rebuild, it would restart it. But backing cannot be unconditional forever: Wilson chose Jaissle, Wilson built this squad, and if the Magpies are still drifting in January, the questions will move upstairs from the dugout to the boardroom. Should Newcastle stick with Jaissle no matter what, or does he need wins before January to survive? Have your say in the comments.
