Newcastle United’s preseason defeat to Everton provided Matthias Jaissle with another useful look at the squad he inherited, but it also exposed several areas that still appear short of Premier League-level depth ahead of the Aug. 23 opener against Liverpool.
Jaissle acknowledged afterward that Newcastle needs further reinforcements and suggested transfers could come soon, perhaps even before the week is over, although he refused to reveal names or even publicly confirm the positions being targeted.
“You all see the matches,” Jaissle said. “You are also smart enough to see the needs in the squad. We handle these things internally. We are aware of what we need. Let’s see now. There is still some time.”
The Athletic’s Chris Waugh reported that a right-back and a veteran, ball-controlling midfielder are Newcastle’s immediate priorities, while another attacker could also be considered.
Jaissle would not rule out the possibility of additions arriving before or during this weekend’s last preseason friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg at St. James’ Park, although he stressed that completing deals is outside his direct control.
“It’s not in my hands,” Jaissle said.
That stance fits the structure Newcastle has adopted under sporting director Ross Wilson and a sentence echoed by Eddie Howe enough to fear the consequences. Jaissle previously explained that transfers will be collective club decisions rather than something dictated solely by the head coach, but he sounded like a man surrendering and just leaving it up to Wilson… or plain fate.
On top of that, the German coach made it clear that while waiting until deadline day would bring its own problems, particularly with Liverpool visiting St. James’ Park so early in his tenure, landing one or more players now wouldn’t be a magic solution to all of Newcastle’s problems.
“If you make new signings at the end of the transfer window, they usually need time,” Jaissle said. “Usually it takes time to adapt to the Premier League. Those are all things we consider, but we are all still positive. We all want to go in the right direction.
“For sure, we cannot be on the peak against Liverpool on the opening day. This is clear. We’re just working now for a couple of days.”
Newcastle clearly has business left to complete, and Jaissle is hardly disguising that fact even while refusing to name names.
How many additions do you think the club needs before Liverpool arrives at SPJ, and how many new players do you believe will be announced before the game? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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