Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; Score808 Live provides the summary and editorial framing.
Newcastle injury crisis
Newcastle injury crisis has eased slightly, but the pressure on Matthias Jaissle remains. Newcastle United have lost three of their last four Premier League games and sit 11th in the table. Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace — Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United — is Newcastle's next chance to halt that slide.
The early-season injury list included Dan Burn, Joelinton, Anthony Elanga, Amar Dedic, Tino Livramento and Jacob Ramsey. Some have now returned. Jaissle and his staff arrived late in the summer, and the six-name list forced them to open the season with a thinner squad.
The absences compounded a turbulent summer and left a younger, less experienced squad than the one that finished last season under Eddie Howe. Newcastle's midfield and wide areas lack the experience Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon provided last season.
Tactical issues under Jaissle
Newcastle sit at the bottom of the table for shots against and xG against. Jaissle's vertical style has not yet produced control: the two-man midfield is being overrun, the defence is exposed, and he is using players out of position.
Newcastle conceded four to newly promoted Coventry, who had scored once in their opening five Premier League games. Defenders Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw are coming in for criticism, but they have had very little protection from a threadbare midfield.
- Yoane Wissa — used as a No 10 and, against Aston Villa, as a No 8 in the last 10 minutes.
- Joe Willock — deployed deeper as a No 6.
- Mathias Fernandez-Pardo — the £51m signing has played largely as a No 9.
Switching to a three-man midfield would give Newcastle more cover and a better chance to stabilise results. Jaissle needs that extra midfielder to make the team harder to beat; Newcastle have the players for a 4-3-3 from the Howe tenure. The Geordie faithful questioned why Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba were left unused on the bench against Aston Villa, while Wissa moved back to midfield and Burn was thrown up top.
Key players returning and new signings
Amar Dedic started the season strongly but injury curtailed his progress. He is expected to return to the starting lineup for the trip to Crystal Palace. Sean Steur, 18, has been used in fits and starts, but he has not hidden when things are not going well.
Nico Gonzalez (£50m from Man City) needs support in midfield. In several matches he has been engulfed by opposition midfielders. Lukas Hornicek has mixed important saves with errors that led to goals. Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba have yet to start a Premier League match.
What to watch next
Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United on Sunday is Newcastle's next chance to stop the slide. Newcastle need back-to-back wins to quieten the noise. The opening-day draw against Liverpool should have been a win, and the follow-up visit to Tottenham was a win.
Two excellent performances had the Newcastle fans singing the new manager's name. Audible boos greeted the final whistle after the defeat to Aston Villa.
Jaissle said his team dominated, a claim that raised eyebrows in the media room. Supporters are split: some point to the summer overhaul and argue Jaissle needs a full season; others see three defeats in four and fear the slide. The club has pointed to the summer overhaul as reason for patience; the recent results have intensified scrutiny.
This report is based on a Sky Sports News Reporter Notebook by Keith Downie, available at skysports.com.
