Why Newcastle may have repeated their Thauvin nightmare

This summer, Newcastle United adopted a new transfer strategy at the start of a new era, and that was to exclusively sign players aged 24 or younger.

This week, Matthias Jaissle and his side have been dealt a cold reality check, with their young crop unable to deal with the physicality of Leeds United at Elland Road. They were swept away by the Whites.

Leeds are a robust, intense and well-drilled side, but they are not the cream of the crop in the Premier League. Jaissle will be deeply frustrated that his lads shipped four goals, second-best throughout the contest.

What went wrong for Newcastle at Elland Road

Newcastle are in a unique position. At the start of a new era, there is a general sense of acceptance that Jaissle will need time, and that setbacks throughout the season are a given.

But the manner of their limp and spineless display against Leeds emphasised how desperately they need some more strength and sureness across the park.

As the signings continue to gel, the Magpies cannot afford to be dragged down into a relegation dogfight, and changes must surely be made after this one. In defence, both Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman were terrible, ragdolled by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and company, exposed when on the ball and looking to build attacks.

Painfully, Newcastle were both outfought and outthought. They lost 54% of their ground duels, lacked nous and coherence when on the ball and even failed to execute Jaissle’s plan to swarm the area with crosses, finding the target with only one of 18 attempted crosses.

After the game, Jaissle spoke of the “learning curve” such a dismal display had provided him, but the new squad need to educate themselves quickly on the trials and tribulations of the Premier League, lest they slip down the ranks once again.

It’s important to remember Newcastle are going to continue to ride this bedding-in period, but Jaissle may need to manage a few of the newbies, with one in particular showing he may not be ready to start week in and week out.

Jaissle must drop Newcastle’s new Thauvin

Managing young and talented arrivals from foreign spheres can often be a tricky thing to navigate for Premier League sides. Newcastle know the problem well, with the likes of Mikel Merino and Florian Thauvin both going on to enjoy excellent careers after failing to make the grade at St. James’ Park.

Thauvin, 33, became something of a modern-day legend with Marseille in France, returning to the club after joining the Toon for £13m in 2015; on Tyneside, he scored once across 16 appearances before fleeing in January 2016, homesick.

Now, as Matias Fernandez-Pardo settles into the thick of the Premier League, there may be a certain fear that lightning has struck twice, with the flashy forward arriving from Lille for £51m at the end of the summer transfer window.

Fernandez-Pardo, 21, is one of the most exciting young attackers in Europe, recognised as a potential superstar in the future. Her arrived to such fanfare, but defeat at Leeds was a sobering reality check, in all honesty, isolated and intimidated as Jaissle’s No. 9.

It’s not hard to see why the Belgium international backs himself. In Ligue 1 last season, he scored seven goals and supplied four assists across 16 matches as a centre-forward last season. But Thauvin also thrived in France before his move across the Channel, posting five goals and seven assists across the 2014/15 Ligue 1 campaign.

He has pace and a cutting edge in key attacking positions, but at Elland Road, was unable to produce the goods, with Yoane Wissa’s robust strength marking him as the more reliable of the two on the evening.

Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

Of his 18 touches, four came from the centre circle, when Newcastle had picked the ball out of the net, consumed by deafening white cheer. He completed eight passes all evening. Fernandez-Pardo failed to get a single shot off and was unable to get any purchase in the danger area as Daniel Farke’s defenders stood firm.

It’s worth remembering that Thauvin has gone on to lead an excellent career after once failing to bed in at Newcastle. Fernandez-Pardo may take time to click into gear, but Jaissle and the powers that be must continue to coax him into form, applying patience and understanding as the young attacker and his teammates around him

REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Perhaps, though the Belgian might not like it, he will find form if placed in a deeper or wider position than the No. 9 berth he is so adamant is his best position.