'His football is very intensity-based, but he shows a lot of flexibility'

German football journalist Constantin Eckner says he rates Matthias Jaissle, who is expected to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle, “very highly”.

Jaissle joined Al-Ahli in 2023 and led the Saudi club to back-to-back AFC Champions League titles in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

“He might be the right man for the job,” said Eckner on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast. “There are a couple of uncertainties regarding Newcastle’s transfers this summer, so we don’t know how the team will look when the Premier League starts or once deadline day has passed.

“But I rate Matthias Jaissle very highly. His football is still very intensity-based, but he shows a lot of flexibility.

“Jaissle, like Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton, is a young coach who is very good at coaching intensity to all kind of players.

“One big advantage I have been told about him is that he communicates very efficiently and precisely. He doesn’t ramble – it’s clear-cut and his English has improved massively.

“We have to see how he deals with the pressure, but he is smart and able to put things into perspective by himself.”

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