Matthias Jaissle insisted on management Newcastle United It is a privilege, as he refused to talk about being under great pressure after successive defeats.
Newcastle have struggled in their return to action after the international break, after a 4-1 defeat at Coventry City punished them for missing first-half chances with a Defeat at home by 1-0 against Aston Villa in which there were no clear scoring opportunities.
The Bears are sitting 11th in the Premier Leaguethree points above the relegation zone but just two above the top six at this still early stage of the season.
However, ahead of Sunday’s trip to a Crystal Palace side just one point behind them in the table, Jaissle obviously needs a result, although he made it clear he is not feeling any extra pressure from recent poor results.
“I’ve always said it’s a privilege to be the manager of Newcastle United,” Jaissle told the pre-match press conference.
“I wouldn’t say that’s a huge pressure, I’d use another word. It’s a big, big responsibility to take on this job, to also lead them through the down period. That was something we were aware of.”
“There were already positive signs at the start of the season. Now there is a setback at the moment, and you have to overcome it.
“The disappointment of the fans is part of the game. They are passionate, especially our fans, but they are big and then it is also normal for them to show disappointment.
“That’s normal in football, they have high expectations. They deserve to have those high expectations and we have to meet them.”
Newcastle striker Matias Fernandez-Pardo is a doubt through illness, but winger Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey are in contention to return to the squad after injury absences.
The Magpies have suffered a significant number of injuries in the opening months of the season, their win over Hull City before the international break coming with nine first-team players unavailable.
And Jaissle, who took over in August following the departure of Eddie Howe in a summer that also saw the departure of ex-captain Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, pointed to the limited time he has had to work with a full squad as a key reason why his players have yet to fully adapt to his style of play.
When asked how far his team is from the vision of where he wants Newcastle to be, Jaissle replied: “For sure we have a lot of potential, I don’t want to mention a percentage, but there is still a big gap to fill.
“I also said a couple of days ago inside the club to some decision-makers that sometimes we still feel in the pre-season when we train with the group now finally with almost all the players on the pitch. That has not been possible in the last few weeks.
“We are still implementing the basics for the way we play, so it takes time, this is a process. The good part is that everyone within the club is realistic and can see it.”
