Jaissle wins first match as Newcastle coach at Mestalla but warns against celebrations

Matthias Jaissle began his tenure as Newcastle United head coach with a victory over Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium on Saturday and lifted a trophy, but said he would not "smash the locker room" in celebration because there was still work to do.

Jaissle, who joined Newcastle United from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, saw his side concede inside four minutes when Filip Ugrinic curled home an opener, yet Newcastle recovered to beat Valencia in his first pre-season friendly in charge at the Mestalla Stadium. "We will not smash the locker room now and celebrate," he said. "We still have a lot to do."

The match featured a stoppage when Anthony Elanga was stretchered off after a bad tackle from Jose Gaya, which resulted in a red card for Gaya; Jaissle said he was "in fear" after seeing Elanga in distress. Elanga was walking later and "it is not thought to be a serious injury after he bruised his shin," the report said.

Yoane Wissa came off the bench to score two goals for Newcastle, while substitutes Bazoumana Toure and Sean Steur were noted for impressive contributions following their summer moves from Hoffenheim and Ajax respectively. The performance from the bench helped shift the game in Newcastle's favour.

"Winning games always helps to gain confidence," Jaissle said. "We also knew that we had a hard week behind us. The players did well and there was a huge commitment to see in each session, so they really deserve two days off and then we start again."

Newcastle have undergone considerable turnover since last season; former head coach Eddie Howe has moved on and key players Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have all left in the last year. Supporters adapted a chant that once included Guimaraes and Isak — "We've got someone in the middle," they sang. "He knows exactly what we need. [Sven] Botman at the back, someone in attack, Newcastle are going to win the Premier League."

The squad fielded against Valencia was markedly younger, with Harvey Barnes the oldest starter at 28, goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek, 24, midfielder Aladji Bamba, 20, and forward Bazoumana Toure, 20, making debuts and 18-year-old Sean Steur impressing from the bench; Malick Thiaw captained the side on his 25th birthday. Jaissle, who has a record of developing young players at RB Salzburg, said: "Time is the key. They're young lads. It's never going to be easy in football, especially at the highest level, but we're here to do that."

Jaissle also showed selection decisiveness by leaving goalkeeper Nick Pope, 34, out of the squad for the match. "I had a talk with Nick," Jaissle explained. "I really appreciate what he did in his career so far. He knows exactly the situation right now and we need to deal with it in the best possible way, but I always appreciate the player and the human being behind."

After a week in Spain that featured double training sessions, Jaissle returned to Newcastle for the first time as head coach and plans to visit St James' Park before his formal introduction next week. "For sure I will be visiting the stadium and getting my first impressions," he added.