Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson says the club were preparing for former head coach Eddie Howe's departure for up to nine months. Although Howe had originally intended to carry on this season, the drained manager decided to step down in July because he felt it was in the best interests of all parties for him to take a break. It was a summer of huge change, as several key players departed, but Newcastle did not envisage Howe leaving when he did following nearly five years in charge.
However, Wilson is adamant the Englishman's exit was not "chaotic" or "painful" because the club had a contingency plan in place, which led to the appointment of Matthias Jaissle. "We always knew where we were going to go," Wilson said. "That doesn't mean we were always going to Matthias, but he was always part of our planning.
"Part of our responsibility as leaders of the club is to be prepared and Eddie is an exceptionally talented coach. "That means he was probably going to do something else at some point so we had to be prepared for that." Newcastle spoke to multiple candidates, but Wilson said Jaissle emerged as their first-choice to replace a "legend of the club". The Scot, who was appointed in October, said he had "been planning for a managerial change for eight or nine of those months" in the background.
Newcastle's hierarchy always knew they wanted Howe's eventual successor to build on the foundations he put in place with an aggressive, high-pressing playing style. Jaissle also had a history of developing younger players, particularly during his previous spell at Red Bull Salzburg, which aligned with Newcastle's strategy of targeting signings aged 24 and under. Following Wilson's first meeting with Jaissle, who joined from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson told him he sounded "really excited about this one".
"I didn't deliberately go on the phone to do that," Wilson said. "But I remember saying 'you're probably right. I think this is it'." Jaissle remains unbeaten in his first four games in charge of Newcastle in all competitions.
However, only three of the club's eight summer signings - Lukas Hornicek, Amar Dedic and Nico Gonzalez - started in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. It felt like a reminder of the time it will take some of the new arrivals to bed in during what Jaissle has repeatedly called a "transition phase". Newcastle have forecast a range of financial scenarios, depending on where the club finish this season, but Wilson maintained the German has not been set a specific target for the campaign.
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