Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle has voiced strong disappointment with his players, accusing them of disregarding his gameplan during their recent 1-0 Premier League loss to Everton. The under-pressure German coach stated that the team resorted to playing long balls excessively, which was contrary to his tactical instructions.
Jaissle, who succeeded Eddie Howe this summer, expressed bewilderment at his team's performance, particularly their inability to execute the strategies practiced in training. "We could not transfer what we saw in the week, training in a high level. Since the start of the game, not much was seen. That is difficult to understand," he said.
The manager highlighted a lack of bravery in possession, with players unwilling to play on the ground and break lines. "We were not brave enough to break the line and play on the ground. We saw it in training, but there was almost nothing to see from these aspects in the game. In possession, this was not the level we wanted to see," Jaissle explained. He added that the reliance on long balls did not suit forward Will Osula and was not the intended strategy.
Newcastle's defeat at St James's Park leaves them 13th in the Premier League table, having lost four of their last five matches. Striker Will Osula was largely isolated, and the team managed only one shot on target in the entire game, which came in the 85th minute.
This loss marks Newcastle's second defeat against Everton in quick succession. The Merseyside club had also won 3-1 against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup just days earlier. Despite the victory, Everton manager David Moyes paid tribute to his squad, acknowledging the difficulty of achieving back-to-back wins against Newcastle and praising his players' commitment.
"They are so good in what they do as they give everything they’ve got. They’re a brilliant group of players and they’ve had it tough as well. They want to keep winning and they’ve found it difficult with the way things have gone, but they’re pulling it out and doing their best to be in all the games," Moyes commented. "It’s never easy… we beat Newcastle on Thursday night and to beat them again today is not an easy thing to do for any club at this level. To come here and get a good win was a great result for us."