Newcastle United dealt £1bn transfer reality check as Matthias Jaissle faces more St James’ Park boos
Another limp Newcastle United performance saw Matthias Jaissle’s men stutter to a second consecutive 1-0 defeat at St James’ Park.
Newcastle United squandered the chance to climb to seventh in the Premier League after a 2-0 defeat to Everton. Here are your five key takeaways as boos echoed around St James’ Park for the second successive home game.
£1bn transfer reality
Since the Saudi-backed takeover in October 2021, Newcastle have spent £960million on new arrivals. The best part of £1billion yet they are depending on players from yesteryear.
Yes, the squad has been ransacked. In net terms, the outlay is around £345million. But Newcastle received a pot of money to fork out on new arrivals.
Let us rewind to the 2025 cup final. As the Carabao Cup, draped in black-and-white ribbons, was raised high into the Wembley sky, imagine someone suggesting afterwards that Newcastle’s frontline within 18 months would be Harvey Barnes, Joe Willock, Anthony Elanga and Will Osula.
Jaissle had £285million worth of talent on the bench. In reality, young Sean Steur was the only player supporters were calling for on social media. Damning.
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Matthias Jaissle under pressure?
For the second consecutive home game, boos echoed around St James’ Park. Nobody expected Newcastle to grab an equaliser.
Away wins can keep sides ticking over in the table. Home wins keep the fans on board.
Just one Premier League triumph this season is case for concern. The Cathedral on the Hill is no longer a fortress.
Newcastle’s home support was ready to go long before the full-time whistle. Aimless long balls were followed by collective groans.
Any side that is sloppy at the back, unimaginative in midfield and toothless up front faces a recipe for Premier League disaster. Worrying times for Jaissle.
Dewsbury-Hall = difference-maker
It is not rocket science which Everton player the Magpies would like to keep on Tyneside. Jaissle does not have a natural No.10 in his ranks - making Dewsbury-Hall exactly the player Newcastle need.
Technically gifted, the game slowed down when he had the ball. By comparison, Newcastle appeared panicky and bereft of composure in the final third.
Dewsbury-Hall was perhaps the only man on the pitch with the ability to play the pass that unlocked Newcastle’s defence for Everton’s opener. Signing someone like him in January would go a long way to fixing this malfunctioning team.
Vertical… hoofball?
This feels very much like a cut-and-paste job from previous weeks. Vertical football is the new fancy buzzword but, right now, looks no different to 1908s, English-style hoofball.
Sam Allardyce was hung, drawn and quartered for his tactics. Jaissle looks slicker on the touchline but, tactically, there is little to separate the two.
Again, without wanting to sound like a broken record, this system has to change. Can he - or most importantly will he - recognise that fact?
Seven heaven… for Everton
Ask both sets of fans before kick-off if they felt confident and neither would have given a convincing answer. That is despite both sides arriving at St James’ Park tonight with seventh place as the prize.
David Moyes and Jaissle have felt their collars in recent weeks due to mixed starts to the season. Ultimately, the Toffees were the ones celebrating sitting in a European place at the full-time whistle.
To make matters worse, that was Everton’s first away win since beating Newcastle in February. David Moyes has steered his side to three consecutive victories at St James’ Park.
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