Jaissle faces fan ire as Newcastle lose 1-0 to Everton at St James' Park on Monday
Newcastle United were beaten 1-0 by Everton at St James' Park in a Premier League match on Monday, prompting boos from the home supporters at full-time after a second defeat by Everton inside a week.
Matthias Jaissle described the performance as "Big frustration, big disappointment," after Newcastle suffered their fourth defeat in six Premier League games, a run that followed elimination from the Carabao Cup by Everton on Thursday; the Toon Army had supported the team throughout before a chorus of jeers at the final whistle.
The match was decided by a goalkeeping error when Lukas Hornicek allowed a routine shot to squirm under his body for Thierno Barry to tap home, and the game featured a red card for substitute Jacob Ramsey amid what Jaissle called "a lot" of issues in the side's play and finishing.
Jaissle argued the winner should have been disallowed for a foul on Fabian Schar in the build-up, saying "I'm not happy with the referee decision," while also acknowledging his players "were not brave enough in possession, too many long balls" and that "It's almost like a negative spiral." He added: "The only way is togetherness and showing unity."
Newcastle's attacking and defensive problems are reflected in the numbers: they have scored 12 goals in nine league games, registered 17 attempts against Everton with only two on target, and have scored just once from their past 47 shots in all competitions; they have also faced the most shots of any Premier League team this season, including 15 or more in seven of the nine top-flight matches they have played.
External commentary and internal consequences have intensified scrutiny. Former defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports, "I fear a little for Newcastle. They have a young manager and young players. You are always going to question the manager when the team is not winning. I think it is going to be a tough season. At home, especially, it feels flat and boring, and I never expected to say about Jaissle's Newcastle. You expected it to be front-footed and exciting, coming from the Red Bull model." Captain Dan Burn reflected on the atmosphere: "I've been a fan so I understand the frustrations when they're not getting what they're expecting," adding "When you're not winning games there's always a lack of confidence. The fans weren't happy. That doesn't make it easy to build confidence when you're in that atmosphere." He also said, "Between the boxes we do OK, but we're not ruthless enough going forward or defending our own box."
Club context supplied further pressure: Jaissle took over following Eddie Howe's exit and arrived after spells in Saudi Arabia and Austria, while Newcastle lost players Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes in the summer; earlier this year chief executive David Hopkinson said he could put the club "in the debate about being the top club in the world" by 2030, a target the article says now looks distant amid the current run.
Newcastle travel to Fulham on Saturday in their final fixture before the November international break, then face Arsenal at home and Brighton away when the Premier League resumes later in the month; Jaissle said: "We will analyse in detail and try and make things better against Fulham."
