Published Oct 1, 2026, 7:15 AM GMT+1

Matthias Jaissle faced exactly that challenge after being appointed Newcastle United manager, with the German tasked with leading the club into the next generation.

He’s currently the second youngest manager in the division, managing a side who are one of the youngest in England’s top flight - which demonstrates the club’s ambition for the future.

However, despite his tender age, Jaissle managed to get one of his first decisions at St James’ Park absolute spot on.

Why Jaissle made the right call loaning Nick Woltemade

Despite spending £69m to sign the striker last summer, Nick Woltemade was allowed to join Italian side Juventus on loan until the end of the 2026/27 campaign.

The German international ultimately failed to deliver during his debut campaign on Tyneside, subsequently netting just eight goals in the Premier League.

On the face of it, such a tally seems somewhat respectable, but only one of his efforts came within the final five months of the season - resulting in a run of 17 games without a goal.

His underlying stats from such a year also demonstrate his struggles within attacking areas, with the 24-year-old being dispossessed more than 85% of players in the division.

Despite his huge frame, Woltemade was often pushed off the ball with ease, subsequently resulting in him losing 62% of his ground duels throughout 2025/26.

He struggled in the air too, only winning an average of 1.6 aerial duels per game, which like his aforementioned figures, saw him place in the bottom 30% of attackers in England.

He still has the chance to resurrect his career at St James’ upon his return from his loan spell, but there’s no denying at present the manager and board made the right call in allowing him to depart.

Why Newcastle star needs to receive the Woltemade treatment

Given the 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season, it’s safe to say a clear out at Newcastle was needed to avoid a repeat of such a disastrous season this time around.

Big-money stars and key players departed, which in essence handed the new manager a blank canvas to work from and make his own mark on the Magpies' senior ranks.

He did decide to keep hold of Jacob Murphy despite the attacker being in the final year of his contract and being subject to multiple bids from Nottingham Forest.

Joe Willock was another who remained on Tyneside despite interest from Turkey, but keeping hold of the midfielder now appears to be a huge mistake on Jaissle’s part.

The Englishman has spent the last five years at St James’ and often been utilised as a bit-part player, but the new boss has handed him five starts within the first seven games of 2026/27.

The 27-year-old may have netted three goals during the aforementioned period, but it’s safe to say those efforts have only papered over the cracks in his performances.

Willock’s underlying stats showcase his struggles in the Premier League and highlight why the manager should have allowed him to depart during the recent summer window.

The former Arsenal man has only managed to create 0.6 chances per 90 so far this campaign, with such a figure placing him in the bottom 85% of players in England’s top-flight.

His wasteful nature in possession has further been highlighted by his tally of 1.9 times dispossessed per 90 - which also sees him rank below 85% of other players in his position.

Willock has been forced to play in a deep-lying position since Jaissle’s arrival, but ultimately, it’s seen him struggle without the ball over recent weeks.

The midfielder has only made 2.8 ball recoveries per 90 this campaign, which, like his figures in possession, has seen 75% of players in position make more this season.

There’s no denying a lot of fans still believe that the 27-year-old can make an impact after his previous levels on Tyneside, but he’s shown himself to be a liability over recent weeks.

With his contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign, the board appear to have made the wrong decision in keeping hold of the midfielder this summer.