Inside Newcastle 2.0: how the project is changing under Matthias Jaissle

Eddie Howe stepped down as Newcastle United head coach after the club’s 4-1 pre-season defeat by Bristol City at Ashton Gate last month, and Matthias Jaissle has been installed and arrived at the club’s pre-season training camp in Spain; Howe had informed the club’s hierarchy of his wish a couple of weeks earlier but agreed to stay on until a successor was found.

Newcastle’s hierarchy are altering the club’s approach after a damaging transfer window last summer and a bruising domestic season, shifting toward younger targets on the continent, beefing up their data operation and adopting a trading model as part of a restrictive settlement following the club’s breach of Uefa’s financial rules.

Those financial realities have required difficult sales: Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon moved to Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona respectively to free up funds, while the impending exit of captain Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal had not been planned; the club also missed out on targets Victor Munoz and Johan Manzambi, who chose Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Despite departures and missed targets, Newcastle have completed five signings this summer — goalkeepers Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen, midfielders Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, and forward Bazoumana Toure — and sporting director Ross Wilson acknowledged there is more to do, saying: "We have to build a model here that can compete, can win," he said. "But also one that works for us and doesn't lead us to have to sell players we don't want to sell and lead to Uefa sanctions."

Jaissle was parachuted in from Al-Ahli into pre-season work in Spain and his early days have been fast-paced; performance director James Bunce likened the situation to a speed dating session because "every moment counts" and the intensity of the new manager's double sessions has been described as "off the charts."

The German has emphasised training patterns that mirror match demands, stressed the importance of clean sheets and imposed recovery work that left players drained; training was pared back on Thursday after Jaissle recognised the legs of his squad were "heavy", and he has been a visibly hands-on presence on the training pitches.

Jaissle arrives with a track record from RB Salzburg, where he won back-to-back titles and reached the last 16 of the Champions League while his side averaged 9.8 high turnovers and 5.6 possessions won in the final third per match; at Al-Ahli his teams made 8.2 high turnovers per game, won 47.6 duels per match and secured successive Asian Champions League titles. He has brought assistants Alexander Hauser, Engin Yanova and Florens Koch, coach analysts Maximilian Fischer and Steffen Konrad and goalkeeping coach Alexander Bade, and in his opening address urged those already at the club to "raise the standards."

New Czech Republic goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek only arrived less than a week ago and has been given a crash course on the added physicality of set-plays and dealing with towering opposition after his £25.7m move from Braga, while staff have been working late on preparation and analysis knowing Liverpool have had more time to adapt under their new manager, Andoni Iraola.

Newcastle’s immediate schedule includes a friendly against Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday and then the Premier League opener at Liverpool on 23 August.