'Hoofing it' - Senior Newcastle United star reveals dressing room view on Matthias Jaissle's tactics
Long-serving Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy spoke at length about Matthias Jaissle’s tactics.
Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy says he and his teammates must take responsibility for Matthias Jaissle’s tactics.
Back-to-back defeats to Everton increased the scrutiny on Jaissle’s ‘vertical football’ approach, but the 1-1 draw away to Fulham on Saturday has eased the noise ahead of the two-week international break.
Murphy was recalled to the starting line-up at Craven Cottage and scored a stunning goal to put his side 1-0 up in the 80th minute. However, United’s lead lasted just three minutes before substitute Rodrigo Muniz equalised.
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Despite coming away disappointed not to take all three points, it was an improved display from United, who had been criticised for playing several aimless long balls forward during last Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton at St James’ Park.
Jacob Murphy on Matthias Jaissle’s tactics
Jaissle admitted after that game that he had not instructed his players to ‘hoof’ the ball forward, and Murphy has accepted that the responsibility lies with him and his teammates.
“The strengths of the game plan is we can attack their goal quickly and in one or two passes,” Murphy said. “We've got really quick players.
“If we're sat in a low block and we win it, whoever's won the ball, can we secure the first pass and then the forwards be ready to run and take advantage of any space left behind?
“But one thing that we also want to try and do more is control the game, and I think in spells today, we had a bit more control and we were living in different shapes for a bit longer, trusting each other, not taking things too literal.
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“There's been talk of a direct style and sometimes we can be guilty of doing that too much, but it's decisions that we as players have to take and be accountable for.
“People are talking about hoofing it up the pitch and stuff like that. Okay, maybe we've been guilty of doing stuff like that, but that's where we just have to take a breath, find a man.
“It's not the instruction to hoof it forward, it's to get to the goal quickly. Yes, there's no denying that, but we have to take it upon us to find better solutions and problem-solve ourselves.”
The Magpies have picked up just four points from a possible 15 since the last international break, compared to the eight they collected from their opening five matches.
Murphy continued: “We've not been consistent with it, and that's where we have to learn. We have to grow in finding consistent performance.
“We went from one game of having near 30 shots in a game and not scoring, and then we go to barely creating a chance the next game to then playing today. We've created some really good chances where we probably should have been two up in the first half.
“So it's finding consistency and finding a way that works. I think we will get there. It's going to take a bit of time, but as long as I can see the effort and the commitment that we're putting in to try and make this work, that's all we can do.”
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