Matthias Jaissle has praised Sean Steur for responding brilliantly to his difficult outing at Leeds United by delivering an impressive midfield display in Newcastle United’s 2-1 victory over Hull City.
Steur was introduced early during Newcastle’s 4-1 defeat at Elland Road on Monday after replacing Nico Gonzalez. The young midfielder struggled to impose himself as Leeds dominated the middle of the pitch.
However, just five days later, Steur was given another opportunity to start in midfield with Gonzalez unavailable due to concussion protocols. He operated in front of the Newcastle defence, allowing Joe Willock to play further forward.
The teenager produced an outstanding performance during the opening hour at St James’ Park. He protected the defence effectively, won possession and consistently made himself available for the ball while looking to move Newcastle forward with his passing.
Steur was eventually substituted in the 66th minute after beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. His departure appeared to change the momentum of the match, with Hull scoring within a minute of Fabian Schar coming on and Lewis Miley moving into central midfield.
Newcastle were put under considerable pressure during the final 20 minutes but managed to hold on for all three points.
“Sean was exceptional,” Jaissle said after the match. “That was the kind of performance you would expect from a very experienced player, but he is still so young.
“He showed a great response after a game where he wasn’t at his best and received plenty of criticism. We stayed calm, gave him confidence and supported him. When he responds in this way, it is really special.”
The main concern surrounding Steur’s display was his inability to complete the match. He required treatment before eventually being taken off in the second half.
Jaissle will be pleased that the issue was fatigue rather than an injury, although the Newcastle manager acknowledged that his young squad must continue adapting to the physical demands of Premier League football.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo also appeared to tire after leading the line and was eventually substituted in the 74th minute.
Jaissle added that Steur’s performance demonstrated both his potential and the area where he still needs to improve.
“It is not something you see every day in football, so I am extremely pleased,” he said. “But it also shows that we have a very young squad, and they still need to adapt to the physicality and intensity of this league.
“The next step is being able to produce this level of performance for 90 minutes, plus added time. That is what we will be working towards over the coming weeks and months.”