'It's a concern' - Warren Barton says what everyone is thinking about Newcastle United & Matthias Jaissle

Former Newcastle United defender Warren Barton has delivered a warning to Magpies head coach Matthias Jaissle after his side suffered three defeats in their last four Premier League games.

The former RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli boss made a solid start to his first season in charge at St James Park after losing just one of his last seven games in all competitions. That defeat came with a 4-1 loss at Leeds United just over a month ago and despite returning to winning ways with a narrow home victory against Hull City prior to the international break, Jaissle’s side suffered back-to-back defeats after a 4-1 loss at newly-promoted Coventry City before emerging without a point from Saturday’s home game with Aston Villa.

Jaissle’s tactics have come in for some criticism throughout recent weeks with some pointing to Newcastle’s inability to keep a clean sheet and the ease in which opposition sides are creating goalscoring opportunities as two key areas for concerns. However, the attacking third is also providing much discussion with Jaissle struggling to find the right blind in his front three and bring the best out of summer signings such as Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Bazoumana Toure.

All eyes have now turned towards Sunday’s visit to Crystal Palace as United face a home side that were rocked by a 5-0 hammering at the hands of in-form Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday. The Eagles also face a tough-looking trip to Turkey on Thursday night as they face Besiktas in their latest Europa League fixture - and Newcastle will hope to take full advantage of any lethargy in the hosts’ squad.

Former United full-back Barton, who was part of Kevin Keegan’s much-loved Entertainers side and also played under Sir Bobby Robson at St James Park, admitted he is concerned by the Magpies disappointing form in recent weeks and urged the squad to stick together.

‘It’s a concern’ - Warren Barton on Newcastle United’s form

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Magpies star said: “Like I said earlier after the Leeds game, he [Jaissle] has got to start learning quickly about the Premier League. It’s not that they want success immediately but they want to see a team that’s competing, that have got a chance of winning and Elland Road, he wasn’t prepared for that. Then you go to Coventry and they had a lot of possession but don’t really create too many clear-cut chances. As you said with Aston Villa, Unai Emery can squeeze as much out as he can out of certain players to make average players good and good players, very good players.

“We haven’t got that at the moment so there is a concern because to have one shot on target at home against Aston Villa is not good enough. I know they’re a good team and I know maybe with the international break he’s not had a lot of time on the training field - but we don’t look like scoring and when you concede goals like we are from crosses, from combinations on the edge of the box, it’s a concern. We need to start sticking together and grinding out results.”

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