Newcastle United's new head coach, Matthias Jaissle, was formally unveiled at St James' Park on Tuesday, urging supporters to remain patient and "keep the optimism" as the club navigates a "transition phase" following Eddie Howe's departure. The 38-year-old German, previously in charge of Saudi club Al-Ahli, acknowledged the difficulty of replacing three key departures, describing the squad as facing a "vacuum" after Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães were all sold. His appointment marks his first managerial role in one of Europe's top five leagues.

At his press conference, Jaissle struck a considered, realistic tone despite being billed by chief executive David Hopkinson as "fire" and "a rock star", stressing that success at Newcastle "will not happen overnight" but that he remains confident in the club's ambition. He spoke of a long-standing relationship with England manager Thomas Tuchel, his former youth coach at Stuttgart, while insisting on forming his own judgements about players. Fans have already embraced him with a chant adapted from Baccara's disco hit "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie", sung during Newcastle's 2-1 pre-season win over Valencia, and Jaissle said the warm reception during a walk around the city had given him "a nice feeling".