The Ross Wilson phone call that saw Matthias Jaissle land Newcastle United job - David Hopkinson knew
Newcastle United turned to Matthias Jaissle following the departure of Eddie Howe as head coach.
Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson has revealed he was excited from the moment he first met Matthias Jaissle.
Eddie Howe informed club chiefs on the first day of pre-season of his intention to step down as head coach after four-and-a-half years in charge, but agreed to continue until a replacement was found.
Howe was under pressure from sections of the Magpies’ fanbase following last season’s 12th-place Premier League finish, but was set to stay after retaining the full support of the board. However, he had a change of heart during the off-season.
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From there, Wilson & Co worked in complete secrecy to find Howe’s successor and that led them to Jaissle, who was relatively unknown despite his success at Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli and Austrian outfit RB Salzburg.
Ross Wilson on the first time he met Matthias Jaissle
Jaissle wasn’t the only candidate Wilson spoke to, but the German is understood to have been his first choice, with the former Nottingham Forest sporting director recalling his excitement when they first met.
“We started this planning work a long time ago, and we knew the type of coach, the type of football we wanted to play,” Wilson told reporters during the club’s post-transfer window debrief. “So therefore, we had to use our models to identify who those coaches might be.
“It was really, really clear that Matthias was somebody that, if he was transactable, at a certain moment , would be really, really interesting to us.
“Probably what I can tell you is, I spoke to him on the phone, and that was a really good conversation. And then I met him, phoned him [David Hopkinson] up and when I was on the phone, he said to me, ‘you sound really excited about this one’.
“I didn't deliberately go on the phone and do that. But I remember saying, ‘you're probably right, I think this is it’.”
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Wilson had a specific style of play that he was looking for in a new head coach, one he believes embodies the football club.
“I can't imagine, in the short term, Newcastle United playing our style of football that isn't aggressive, vertical and attacking,” he said. “And if you do, tell me, because it would be a really good debate for us all to have.
“But we were really clear that for this club to be successful, we've got to play an attacking, high-pressing, high-engaging, proactive, vertical style of football. And we had to find a coach that could do that for us.”
Ross Wilson on Newcastle United expectations
A managerial change is one of many major changes that have taken place at St James’ Park this summer with the departures of Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, and eight new signings - all aged 24 or under - leading to a squad overhaul.
Jaissle has made an unbeaten start to the Premier League season, beating Tottenham Hotspur away and drawing at home to Liverpool and Bournemouth, which has altered some people’s expectations considering the team were heavily tipped to struggle initially.
In response, Wilson said: “Yeah, but I think we want Newcastle United to be a club with anticipation and excitement, because if it's not, it probably means we're doing it wrong.
“I think we want to feel excitement and ambition and a rise in anticipation. Of course we've got to manage that and be balanced, but I think we want to be a club that's got excitement around it, don't we?”