Howe undeniably raised the bar.
The English coach inherited a team flirting with relegation, kept them up, then ended Newcastle‘s trophy drought by lifting the EFL Cup in 2025 — and he secured Champions League football multiple times.
Domestically, though, last season proved punishing — Newcastle finished 12th — and within a year Howe saw Alexander Isak, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon depart.
Newcastle now look set to lose a fourth linchpin as captain Bruno Guimaraes heads to Arsenal.
In the wake of Howe’s decision to step down, they need a forward-thinking coach to kick-start a new era and build on the heights he reached.
In practical terms, Jaissle will be charged with developing talent and outperforming clubs with bigger payrolls. And Newcastle‘s players should expect training demands every bit as fierce as before.
Former Salzburg midfielder Zlatko Junuzovic said they often used small-sided drills to keep intensity high, and that anyone not giving maximum effort was called out.
He added that Jaissle is unafraid to confront problems directly.
While Jaissle has had to quickly learn a new squad, he will find a group already versed in similar principles from Howe’s tenure, alongside eager young arrivals.
He also arrives with a trusted team of coaches and analysts ready to embed his ideas fast.
Al-Ahli defender Merih Demiral can vouch for that.
He said looking forward to training each day made a real difference, noting the staff’s meticulous attention to detail and constant emphasis on full readiness.
Demiral added that Matthias assembled a powerful backroom team who were pivotal to their success.
This summer, Jaissle and his assistants inherit a squad whose average age has dropped markedly.
Even so, the German is likely to lean on seasoned figures like Dan Burn and Fabian Schar in the dressing room.
A former Hoffenheim defender, Jaissle was a few months younger than Junuzovic when he took over Salzburg in 2021.
He nonetheless told the midfielder plainly that playing alongside the club’s younger core would be a challenge.
Jaissle pushed Junuzovic to raise his level and win a starting place — and, once he did, he was true to his word.
The former Austria international said Jaissle genuinely speaks players’ language.