When assessing Matthias Jaissle’s opening weeks at Newcastle United, the German can look back on a mixed set of results that have offered promising glimpses of his high-intensity footballing philosophy.
A 2-2 draw against Liverpool on the opening day gave Newcastle supporters an early indication of what life could look like when the Magpies execute Jaissle’s ideas properly. It was exciting, energetic and, at that stage of his reign, completely unexpected.
However, the 4-1 defeat to Leeds United also highlighted what can happen when Newcastle fail to make the system work. The Magpies were thoroughly dismantled, struggled to maintain possession and, in many respects, found themselves having their own style used against them by Leeds.
Newcastle responded by finishing the opening stretch with a 2-1 victory over Hull City, leaving Jaissle with eight points from a possible 15 and giving the new manager a respectable start to his tenure.
There is still plenty of work to be done, though, and further improvement could come through additions in January. Following a challenging summer transfer window, those on Tyneside are already looking ahead to the winter market.
Names such as Giorgio Scalvini have already emerged as potential targets, while midfield recruitment could once again become a priority, with Lamine Camara reportedly among the players Newcastle are monitoring.
Newcastle plotting Chelsea hijack for Camara
It remains somewhat surprising that Camara is not already playing in the Premier League. The AS Monaco midfielder came extremely close to joining Chelsea on deadline day.
Monaco believed they needed to complete the sale after Folarin Balogun’s proposed move to Everton initially collapsed. However, once Balogun’s transfer was given the green light again, Camara’s own £47m move was called off.
The situation took another dramatic turn when Balogun cancelled his transfer in the final stages of the window. By that point, however, there was no time left to revive Camara’s proposed move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea subsequently criticised Monaco for what they considered unprofessional conduct, leaving tensions between the clubs.
The midfielder remains firmly on Chelsea’s radar, although a January deal could still become complicated. According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are now plotting a hijack for Camara and could attempt to beat Chelsea to his signature in what would represent a major move for Jaissle’s side.
“Without the ball, he’s already at an exceptional level, truly fantastic. This is largely due to his character: he has an exemplary team mentality. He always sacrifices himself for the collective, so I’m very happy to work with him. I absolutely want to keep him because I know that this type of player is rare in football.” – Monaco manager Filipe Luis on Camara
Since remaining at Monaco, Camara has continued exactly where he left off. The midfielder has made more tackles than any other player in Ligue 1 so far this season. Among outfield players, he also leads the way for recoveries, while only two players have won more duels.
Given those numbers, it is understandable that his manager Luis recently went as far as describing him as “one of the best midfielders in the world”.
The battle for his signature could therefore become one to watch, and Camara would potentially give Newcastle the midfield quality and intensity they have been searching for since the summer.