Matthias Jaissle’s St James’ Park bow ended in defeat as German side Bayer Leverkusen overcame Newcastle United 2-1 in a pre-season friendly.
Inside 45 seconds, Newcastle fell behind after Ibrahim Maza’s vicious left-footed shot from distance dipped into the net beyond Lukas Hornicek. Once the home side had changed their shirts due to a kit clash, Malick Thiaw, who was named captain once more, equalised when he nodded in an Anthony Elanga corner just before the interval.
Victor Boniface rose off the bench to curl in Leverkusen’s winner in the 82nd minute, bamboozling Sean Steur before whipping a shot into the far corner, which Hornicek got a hand to but could not keep out.
French outfit Strasbourg visit Tyneside on Sunday for the second friendly of the weekend and Jaissle’s team selection suggested that he had decided to split his side across the two matches, rather than field his strongest XI on either day.
Following back-to-back defeats against Everton and Leverkusen and with the opener against Liverpool just eight days away, Jaissle’s Newcastle are not going into the Premier League campaign with much positive momentum.
Chris Waugh analyses the action from St James’ Park.
Dedic deal close — and he’s desperately needed
So short are Newcastle at full-back that Jaissle will be unable to name two fit senior out-and-out wide defenders across both these weekend friendlies, never mind four.
Lewis Hall will be one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Premier League opener but, even if Mason Miley is highly rated within Newcastle and signed a senior contract this summer, the 17-year-old younger brother of Lewis has never made a first-team appearance and should not be expected to deputise against Liverpool. Leo Shahar, the 19-year-old who will likely play against Strasbourg tomorrow (Sunday), has made just one senior competitive appearance.
Newcastle are close to agreeing a deal with Benfica for Dedic, however, and the 23-year-old may well be thrust straight into the XI for next Sunday, given Tino Livramento is only just returning to full training following a minor calf operation in June.
Jaissle worked with the Bosnia-Herzegovina international at FC Liefering and Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, so their respective familiarity meant this move made sense from pretty much the moment the German was appointed and Dedic should be a stylistic fit.
Amar Dedic is close to a move to Tyneside from Benfica (WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
Dedic is predominantly a right-back but can play down both flanks, which has proven attractive to Newcastle given their lack of full-back options.
Dedic looks set to become Newcastle’s sixth summer signing but the first of Jaissle’s tenure and his arrival cannot come a moment too soon, even if the proposed fee of up to £30million ($40.6m) appears expensive. As exciting as it was to see brothers Lewis and Mason Miley play on the St James’ pitch together, the former needs a sustained run in his natural midfield role and too much should not be expected of the latter too soon. Mason went off in the closing stages with what appeared to be a knock.
Further additions are still required, potentially including another full-back, yet securing Dedic will provide everyone around the club with a welcome boost.
Why did Newcastle change their shirt?
Even by friendly standards, this was an odd occasion.
Perhaps this being the first of two 90-minute matches inside 24 hours played a part, alongside the strangeness of Jaissle being the man in the home dugout following almost five years of Eddie Howe occupying that technical area.
But the most bizarre moment came in the 23rd minute when, during a hydration break — which was roundly booed by the home crowd — every Newcastle outfielder changed their shirts. It had been evident from the moment the teams emerged that there was a kit clash, yet somehow the respective outfits were permitted. Michael Oliver, the Newcastle fan who usually cannot officiate when his club is playing, was the referee for the afternoon.
Newcastle were initially wearing their new black-and-white-striped home kit, with a blue trim, while Leverkusen were in a predominantly white strip which also featured blue spots. The biggest issue was that both shirts were almost wholly white on the back, making it difficult to discern which team was which.
Harvey Barnes is closed down by two defenders – before the change of shirts (Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images)
It seems Jaissle was influential in requesting a change and Newcastle’s kit staff brought out their new third violet shirts. The home side continued to play in their black shorts and black socks, however.
Newcastle’s players changed their shirts midway through the first half (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Whether coincidental or not, Newcastle improved markedly following the attire change, with Jaissle seemingly recognising that his players were struggling to find their own team-mates.
It was truly puzzling.
How will Jaissle solve his lack of a No 10?
One of the brightest sparks throughout pre-season has been the form of Yoane Wissa.
After scoring twice in Valencia when playing as a striker, he has been deployed as a No 10 in each of the last two outings and has been heavily involved in most of Newcastle’s positive attacking moves. After a difficult first season on Tyneside, which was ravaged by injury and a lack of fitness, Wissa looks sharp and determined to prove a point.
Admittedly, although Wissa has played as a second striker for DR Congo and looks good when carrying possession upfield, he is not necessarily a naturally creative player. The problem is that Jaissle does not actually have one at his disposal, having trialled Nick Woltemade in that role.
Howe did not play with a No 10 in his 4-3-3 formation and so Newcastle have not signed a player to specifically fill that role post-takeover. Worryingly, nor is there any suggestion they will bring one in before the deadline — at least one midfielder, potentially a wide attacker and perhaps even another full-back are on the agenda — meaning that Jaissle is attempting to shoehorn players into his 4-2-3-1 system.
Matthias Jaissle seemed to enjoy his St James’ Park bow (Scott Heppell/AFP via Getty Images)
Some supporters pleaded with Howe to use Woltemade as a No 10 yet, of his three appearances under Jaissle, the Germany international has twice played as a centre-forward and once just off the striker.
Against Leverkusen, there were moments of visible frustration shown towards Woltemade from Jaissle on the touchline when the striker failed to control the ball and lay it off to his team-mates, but the head coach appears determined to try and extract more from his compatriot.
Newcastle spent a combined £119m on Wissa and Woltemade last season, yet working out a way of fitting them into the same side remains as much of a conundrum for Jaissle as it was for Howe.
What did Jaissle say?
On two friendlies in two days:
“We needed to split. First of all, because it doesn’t make sense that the the lads play two games in a row. But the most important thing now in the last friendlies that you see everyone over 90 minutes, and there are different approaches.
“Some of them, they could use one more training day, especially the guys who returned later or came back from an injury. So there are many aspects to consider, and again, it has nothing to do with with a starting XI or not.”
Shirt change — were you involved?
“Honestly, I was a bit surprised when the kick-off was done because it was so, so close to each other, the two shirts. It was then smart to use the first break, the hydration break, to change it because probably as well from the stands, from your perspective, it was not easy to distinguish between the two teams.”
On transfers:
“As I mentioned in the press conference previously, and also in interviews, that club knows exactly the needs, and this is here is not the right place to talk about the positions, and names. Everyone is involved in the club, in the in the management, and there will be some changes for sure.”
When are Newcastle next in action?
Sunday, August 16: Strasbourg (Home), Friendly, 4pm UK, 11am ET.
Sunday, August 23: Liverpool (Home), Premier League, 4.30pm UK, 11.30 ET
