Matthias Jaissle has not worked for the Red Bull group for three years, yet its influence over the German remains evident.“Energy”, “energetic” and “energised” were the oft-repeated words used by those inside Newcastle United’s La Manga training camp to describe the uplift since Jaissle succeeded Eddie Howe as head coach. Sometimes, an uptick in vitality comes about by new faces, rather than by consuming energy drinks.Club records have been broken on the training pitch in Spain when it comes to intensity and physical output, according to James Bunce, the performance director, and Jaissle’s key messages have been about pressing, power, stamina and verticality. The German wants his Newcastle team to attack and he wants them to do so by getting the ball forwards as swiftly as possible.He is even known to sprint around the training pitch himself, mirroring what he asks his players to do, covering almost as much ground as them.
Intense start to the Jaissle era. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/OttedDkgpV
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) August 6, 2026The parallels are not absolute with Howe’s arrival on Tyneside in November 2021, but they are real. After almost five years at the helm, freshness was required — a conclusion Howe himself came to — and the onset of a new era has created a buzz around this camp.Admittedly, whenever a head coach arrives, there are similarly encouraging noises and cliches, and spirits are almost always high during pre-season. But according to one well-placed insider, this is the most positive atmosphere they have witnessed during a training camp, which is quite the claim indeed.The hierarchy always foresaw a response from the players to Jaissle’s arrival, but insiders claim the size of the boost has exceeded even their highest expectations. There is a real connection with the players, they insist, perhaps because of his age (38, 10 years younger than Howe) and his coaching style.When outlining his vision for “Newcastle United 2.0” during an exclusive interview with The Athletic this week, David Hopkinson, the chief executive, described Jaissle as being “like fire” and “a rock star”. On the touchline, he may be combustible, yet the first impression of his press-conference technique — albeit in a hasty 10-minute briefing in a cramped corner of a hotel bar — is one of calmness and being keen to give little-to-nothing away, rather than someone who is going to really bring the noise.“I always have big ambitions,” Jaissle said. “That’s the key element for every coach — otherwise, I would not be here.”Jaissle arriving in La Manga last week (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)There is also a stark reality about the situation Jaissle is inheriting, with Bruno Guimaraes, the influential captain, following Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali out of the club. A fresh focus upon youth and potential has been adopted and Jaissle accepts this is likely to be a “transition season” and it may be a “long, long journey” to get to where they want to go.
