Newcastle United will be looking to respond to their disappointing 4-1 defeat against Leeds United when they face Hull City, but Matthias Jaissle has made it clear that he has no intention of abandoning his tactical approach.
The Newcastle head coach came under scrutiny after his side were comprehensively beaten at Elland Road on Monday night. Although it was Newcastle’s first defeat of the season, the performance raised concerns after Leeds dominated the opening stages and raced into a 4-0 lead before substitute Bazoumana Toure scored a late consolation.
Despite the criticism surrounding his 4-2-3-1 system, Jaissle insists the formation itself is not the problem. Instead, he believes his players need to execute the team’s principles more effectively.
“It’s a brave journey the club is going through and I’m fully committed to that,” Jaissle said. “If there’s one setback, we shouldn’t delete our journey or our vision. We’re fully committed and fully aligned.
“We anticipated that something like what happened against Leeds would happen at some point, and it could happen again in the coming weeks and months. It’s about how we respond while continuing to believe in what we’re doing.”
Jaissle also stressed that his tactical principles can be adapted during matches without necessarily changing the team’s basic formation.
“I’m really clear on the principles we want to show on the pitch,” he added. “That doesn’t mean we need to stick rigidly to the formation. If our No.10 is positioned five metres higher, suddenly you can have two strikers.
“We can adjust that easily during the game. It’s about the principles we want to see, how we want to press their positions and how we bring that onto the pitch.
“Tactics are one thing, but delivering them on the pitch is another. We’re very clear about the way we want to play and the principles behind it. That gives the players a clear framework. The formation isn’t that important.”
Jaissle rejects suggestion of switching to a back five
When asked directly whether he had considered abandoning his current system and moving to a back five, Jaissle gave a firm response.
“Absolutely the wrong approach,” he said.
“That could be something for some coaches, but as I explained before, the structure or formation is not the key element. It’s about how the players apply the principles.
“If our wingers are five metres deeper, maybe you see a back five. If both wingers are five metres deeper, maybe you’re talking about a back six.”
Jaissle explains Newcastle’s ‘vertical football’
Jaissle has also been keen to explain what is meant by the term ‘vertical football’, which has been used to describe his tactical philosophy.
The German coach explained that the concept is based on looking to play forward whenever possible rather than simply relying on one specific method.
“There are many different approaches within that aspect. It’s simply the principle of being vertical in your approach,” Jaissle explained.
“That could mean going straight for a long ball without trying to build from the goalkeeper and instead competing for aerial duels. But it could also mean having the intention to look deep first and trying to find the furthest option available.
“That isn’t always possible because if the opposition takes away the space in behind, then you have to find different solutions. You might need to use deeper lay-off patterns, for example.
“You also need to be versatile. But the main idea is that after winning the ball or collecting a second ball, the players’ first instinct should be to look forward and attack the depth. That vertical approach should always be there.”
No, no, no!’ – Jaissle reveals major Newcastle decision that will NOT change against Hull City
