Guimaraes future, fixing Howe’s mess among Jaissle’s first five Newcastle priorities
Eddie Howe’s departure as Newcastle United manager came as a shock on Thursday morning. But it also felt long overdue.
The timing is far from ideal, with the 2026/27 season kicking off in just three weeks, and the decision reportedly came down to Howe rather than Newcastle, who were willing to back the only managerial appointment of the Saudi Arabian era despite a dreadful 2025/26 campaign.
Newcastle seemed to hit a new low almost every month last season, with Howe supposedly on the brink on several occasions. Yet despite finishing below newly-promoted Sunderland, losing both Tyne-Wear derbies and being humiliated by Barcelona in the Champions League, he somehow remained in charge.
Ultimately, though, it was what was happening behind the scenes that convinced Howe to call it a day.
The former Bournemouth boss reportedly felt resigned to losing club captain Bruno Guimaraes in the same summer Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon departed for big-money moves. That proved the final straw for a manager who had been promised more than the Newcastle hierarchy could realistically deliver.
The Magpies have been significantly hamstrung by the Premier League’s financial rules, leaving them unable to make the leap into the division’s elite. Selling star players has become a necessity, preventing their filthy-rich owners from flexing the financial muscle many expected when the takeover was completed.
A dynasty is what Newcastle supporters dreamed of. Instead, it is quickly turning into a disaster.
It is all becoming increasingly messy and, while Howe appeared to be the inept captain, he has now jumped from a sinking ship.
His reported replacement is 38-year-old German Matthias Jaissle, a former Hoffenheim defender who retired in 2014 after making one appearance for Germany Under-21s.
Seven years later, he landed his first managerial role, having previously spent four years as Brondby’s assistant manager.
An impressive spell with FC Liefering in Austria earned him the Red Bull Salzburg job, and Jaissle has been in charge of Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, another club under the PIF umbrella, since 2023.
Jaissle has enjoyed success everywhere he has managed. A two-time AFC Champions League winner, he will back himself to get Newcastle back into the Champions League, but he will also know the size of the task awaiting him.
If, as expected, he is confirmed as Newcastle’s new manager, there are plenty of issues to address. Here are the five biggest priorities awaiting Jaissle at St James’ Park.
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Swift Bruno Guimaraes solution
We’re not putting our neck on the line and saying Newcastle should either keep or sell Guimaraes. We are simply saying a decision needs to be made sooner rather than later. Finding clarity should be the new manager’s top priority.
As we now know, Guimaraes’ expected departure to Premier League champions Arsenal was one step too far after Tonali joined Tottenham, which is entirely understandable.
Losing Alexander Isak, Tonali and Guimaraes to Premier League rivals was never part of the plan when they joined Newcastle. All three were huge successes and were supposed to form the spine of a team capable of challenging for titles over the long term. As alluded to, the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules have made that virtually impossible, and after four years of making the best of a difficult situation under PIF, everything finally came to a head last summer.
The Isak saga dragged on for months and gave Newcastle a false start to 2025/26. The money raised from his sale was then spent poorly. Initially, it was going to fund a move for Hugo Ekitike, who instead joined Liverpool. Benjamin Sesko was an excellent alternative but opted for Manchester United. Nick Woltemade then emerged from nowhere and, despite a decent start, has come nowhere near justifying his £73million price tag.
Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa have been hugely underwhelming after costing a combined £110million, while Jacob Ramsey took time to settle before finally showing signs of encouragement.
At least Elanga and Wissa enjoyed good World Cups, hinting at what Newcastle supporters might see this season.
We appreciate the tangent, but Guimaraes wanting to leave is merely the tip of Newcastle’s iceberg.
The new manager should speak to Bruno the moment he walks through the door. Howe’s departure appears to have all but confirmed a move to Arsenal, but Jaissle needs to know whether he is preparing for the season with or without his captain.
Unlike Isak, Guimaraes is expected to conduct himself with the utmost respect and, while some Newcastle supporters will understandably struggle to accept his departure, plenty will understand why he wants to leave a club that appears to be moving in the wrong direction.
Newcastle may have wanted Howe to stay and even tried to convince him not to resign before pre-season, but he might ultimately have done them a favour by walking away.
It is time for a new era, and deciding whether Guimaraes is part of it has to be an immediate priority. Everyone involved deserves clarity.
Sign a ready-made Sandro Tonali replacement
Newcastle have already made moves to replace Tonali with the signings of rookie midfielders Sean Steur (£20.5m) and Aladji Bamba (£30m). Getting those deals done early, alongside the arrival of Bazoumana Toure (£40.25m) as Anthony Gordon’s replacement, is a rare positive after last summer’s transfer shambles.
Replacing Tonali properly is easier said than done. He is a £100million midfielder, after all. But, believe it or not, Newcastle have the tools to do a pretty decent job.
Tonali’s numbers were impressive, but his game went far beyond the statistics. The bloke is an absolute machine. His engine is second to none, constantly pressing at full tilt in the closing stages to help Newcastle see out results. He possesses every physical attribute required to be a world-class midfielder and has the technical quality to match.
Signing a new No.6 must be Jaissle’s top priority in terms of incoming transfers. Unfortunately, the market for elite defensive midfielders is fairly underwhelming.
Adam Wharton is the standout option and would represent a huge statement signing. Beyond that, Jaissle could turn to compatriot Angelo Stiller at Stuttgart, though there may be concerns over whether he can adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
Other options include Alex Scott, Carlos Baleba, James Garner, Anton Stach and Ruben Neves.
Establish his best backline
Easier said than done considering Sven Botman’s injury problems, isn’t it? Most would agree that Botman and Malick Thiaw is Newcastle’s strongest centre-back partnership and, with only one game a week this season, they finally have a chance to establish themselves as a consistent, elite duo.
Botman was on course to become one of the Premier League’s best defenders before a string of injuries severely stalled his development. His lack of availability has hurt not only Newcastle but also Thiaw, who spent his first season at the club alongside a revolving cast of centre-back partners, while also dealing with the chopping and changing of Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale in goal.
On paper, Newcastle’s best back four is Tino Livramento, Thiaw, Botman and Lewis Hall. That is surely not up for debate. The challenge is keeping them fit and on the pitch together. Alternatively, Jaissle may decide one or two of them – most likely Livramento or Botman – should be sold or replaced by more reliable options. It is an unnecessary headache for the incoming Magpies boss.
Establishing his preferred backline also means solving the goalkeeping situation. Pope is not a long-term answer and there are understandable question marks over new signing Ewen Jaouen, who is only 20 years old.
Jaouen endured a difficult evening as Newcastle were embarrassed by Bristol City on Wednesday night, just hours before Howe resigned.
Many Newcastle supporters expect a new No.1 to arrive before the transfer window closes and that feels like the sensible course of action.
An unsettled defence is one of the most damaging things for any team. If Newcastle can have an undisputed first-choice goalkeeper and settled back four by September, they will give themselves a far better chance of recovering from a turbulent summer. Another season of uncertainty would be a disaster.
Solve the Nick Woltemade conundrum
It might seem harsh to single out Woltemade when all of Newcastle’s 2025 summer signings were pants last term, but no player poses a bigger puzzle. Nobody seems entirely sure what his best position is. Howe certainly didn’t. Jaissle, his fellow German, must decide whether he is a striker or an attacking midfielder.
At 6ft 6in, it feels blatantly obvious that Woltemade should be a centre-forward. Yet his inability to run in behind or lead the press makes him a difficult player to build an attack around.
Coming from someone Jaissle – or any other Premier League manager – has absolutely no interest in taking tactical advice from, we’d play Woltemade as part of a front two. That would relieve him of the pressing responsibilities of a lone striker while allowing his hold-up play and flick-ons to become genuine weapons. His footwork and close control with his back to goal are sublime.
At the end of the day, Newcastle invested a hell of a lot of money in the big German and, if Jaissle cannot get a tune out of him, the club’s hierarchy will be far from impressed. At least he can remind them he had nothing to do with the signing if Woltemade ends up becoming a bit-part player.
Go Back to Basics – high pressing, entertaining football
Narrowing it down to just five priorities hardly reflects the scale of the task awaiting Jaissle at St James’ Park.
There is transfer interest in several key players, including Livramento and Hall, while the goalkeeping situation remains far from settled – something we have already touched on, albeit not in great depth.
Taking things back to basics is a cliché, but sometimes it is exactly what a manager needs to do. Newcastle’s success under Howe was built on clear tactical principles. Can Jaissle restore those foundations?
Whatever system he prefers, Jaissle has been a resounding success wherever he has been and, while most might take success in Saudi Arabia with a pinch of salt, a star-studded Al-Nassr team still needed a lot to go in their favour to win Cristiano Ronaldo his first trophy in three years in the Middle East.
Jaissle is clearly no slouch and an identifiable style of play, likely built around high pressing and entertaining football, would quickly get Newcastle supporters back onside after the disjointed tactics under Howe over the last year.
