Matthias Jaissle was caught bench pressing a pair of 25kg dumbbells in the gym at Newcastle United's training ground, unaware that a handful of journalists were watching. "Is that all you can lift?" one offered, trying to break the ice. When a colleague asked if he could manage the same load, Jaissle surveyed his frame and replied, "Looking at you, I don't think so."
One month into the job, the 38-year-old head coach has smashed through just about everything put in front of him. Three matches into his reign, Newcastle have two wins and a draw against Liverpool that, by most assessments, deserved more.
"The lads like him," said one source close to the players. "He's got a swagger about him, but that's fine if you can back it up."
A surprise appointment
Jaissle arrived at Newcastle with no experience managing in a major European league, having been recruited from PIF-owned Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. Newcastle had to meet a £10million buyout clause, and insiders say Al-Ahli were "massively p***** off" about losing him.
When it was suggested Newcastle might return to Al-Ahli for 21-year-old midfielder Valentin Atangana, a Jaissle favourite, the idea was nervously laughed off, with club chiefs already happy with the coach they had.
At one of Jaissle's interviews in Portugal, Newcastle's hierarchy were so impressed that, after leaving the restaurant, they discussed turning back and offering him the job there and then. Chief executive David Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson reportedly saw leadership, conviction and energy in him, and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan agreed. What looked to outsiders like a hurried appointment was, inside the club, seen as a considered coup.
Life at the training ground
Jaissle arrives at the training ground at 7.30am and, for his first fortnight at the club, was leaving under the cover of darkness. He joked that the training centre had become his new home, though he has since found time to explore the area.
Shortly after joining, Jaissle wrote a letter to every member of staff, introducing himself and pledging to do everything in his power to deliver success, while stressing that it would only be achieved with everyone pulling in the same direction. He noted that working for Newcastle United was "more than just a job" for staff, and paid tribute to his predecessor, Eddie Howe. He later made an unannounced appearance at an all-staff town hall.
Forward Yoane Wissa labelled Jaissle "our best signing of the summer" after last weekend's 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Training philosophy
Jaissle said his favourite moment of the month came not in a match but on the training pitch. "I remember one or two training sessions where I had a huge smile on my face afterwards," he said. "That was because I felt these guys are so committed. I knew then we would develop fast. I could see us working as a unit on the pitch. These are the small steps where you can see we're going in the right direction."
His preference is to play forward, and in training, teams are penalised for playing a pass backwards in certain zones of the pitch.
"Guys, that's the rules. Understand it straight away," he told players during his first week at the club's pre-season base in La Manga. He was likened to a military instructor by some, with one supporter watching a clip online commenting, "I'm knackered just watching this."
His intensity on the training pitch is balanced by shorter video sessions, delivered slowly and deliberately in his second language. His three non-negotiable values are said to be trust, respect and pure commitment, and his mantra last month was to "control the controllables."
Deadpan humour
Jaissle's early days felt serious, but lighter moments have followed, including his quip in the gym. When a colleague asked whether striker Nick Woltemade's struggles were psychological, Jaissle replied, "I don't know, I'm not a psychologist."
Asked what percentage ready his team was heading into the season, he said, "I'm not a mathematician." After shaking every reporter's hand at his unveiling, he warned, "Just the first time, guys." Asked about adapting to life in England, he said, "The biggest challenge is your dialect… and driving on the left side."
Touchline discipline
Jaissle has also poked fun at his own animated touchline demeanour. After taking the job, he asked staff how many yellow cards a Premier League manager was permitted before receiving a touchline ban. Told the answer, he replied, "Only three?!"
He has shown little regard for the boundaries of his technical area, once joking, "I had a longer touchline in Saudi Arabia, my GPS was quite high…"
A club moving on
Former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness used to book a table every Saturday night at Sale Pepe, a restaurant in Jesmond, sitting in the window after wins and out the back after defeats. Jaissle's most recent reservation, by contrast, was at Riley's Fish Shack, a grill overlooking the beach in Tynemouth.
Jaissle's partner, model Lisa Czetsch, was seen dancing in the St James' Park reception in celebration of last week's Carabao Cup win over West Bromwich Albion.
A month is too soon for definitive judgment, but Jaissle has spent it lifting the mood and expectations at Newcastle, as well as weights beyond most reporters' means.
