Matthias Jaissle’s verdict on making Newcastle United changes is partially correct but extremely risky
Matthias Jaissle is currently facing a looming pressure from fans to make changes ahead of Saturday’s game against Fulham after yet another dismal display against Everton on Monday night.
But the German has spoken about how he must find a balance and that making changes could actually do more harm than good for a side who is lacking confidence like the Magpies currently are.
In many ways, that sentiment makes sense, especially from the lens of players struggling to get to grips with the new system and put into practice what their gaffer is looking for. However it is also an extremely risky strategy, especially when things aren’t going to plan and the players are performing at such a dysfunctional standard.
Jaissle’s comments make sense but are concerning
Speaking about the possibility of making changes and managing the current situation Jaissle said, “It is always about finding a balance as a coach, especially when there is a lack of confidence as well. If you change after one bad performance, then where should the players get their belief from?
“It’s always this balance that you have to manage. But of course, if other players are knocking on the door due to their training performances, then it is easier to make changes.
“If you have results like this, then you have to analyse everything. Again, it is my responsibility to do that and find solutions”
The actual sentiment behind those comments make sense. Tough periods at the start of a manager’s tenure where it is clear that the players aren’t quite executing the tactics correctly do require a bit of time and patience.
It’s also nice to see that he is accepting that he needs to find solutions, albeit that is easy to say and we need to start seeing some tweaks put in place to actually find those solutions on matchday.
The issue with the comments is that this isn’t just one bad performance, it is now four or five in a row that have been decidedly negative and it has largely been the same players producing those performances in all of them.
If Jaissle’s intention is still to remain by the side of those who he readily admitted didn’t adhere to the game plan against Everton, then I would question whether he is actually doing enough to find the solutions he admitted responsibility for finding.
Players are confused…
Not only that but an article by Craig Hope today suggested that some players are confused about what Jaissle wants from them on the pitch.
As mentioned, the German spoke about the players playing long-ball football on Monday night, which he claims wasn’t what he asked of them.
But the recent suggestion by Hope would indicate that there is something much more fundamentally wrong with his methods than players not doing what he asked and, if it is the case that players are confused by the tactics, then his desire to find solutions while perfecting the balance between change and continuity becomes an even more difficult task than the on-pitch performances would suggest.
Constantly changing the starting XI could further unsettle players who are already struggling to grasp the system, and there’s nothing to say that those brought in would have a better understanding anyway.
Similarly, continuing to select the same players, despite how bad they have been in recent weeks, risks leaving failures unresolved and doesn’t allow the opportunity to for others to prove their worth.
It’s basically a lose-lose, but one that, if all of the reports and his own comments are taken at face value, has been almost entire engineered by Jaissle himself.
