Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle has urged his players to shut out external negativity ahead of their Premier League season opener against Liverpool at St James' Park.
The 38-year-old German coach takes charge following a turbulent summer for Newcastle, which saw head coach Eddie Howe stand down alongside the departures of key players Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Anthony Gordon.
With outside observers forecasting a difficult campaign for the club, Jaissle acknowledged the external noise surrounding the team but called on his squad to maintain focus inside the dressing room.
"To bring the sense of that, in the room, I think it’s smart from us to avoid the negativity from outside, and there is negativity," Jaissle said. "You read the newspapers, the media, the social media in particular."
Newcastle United play in the Premier League, the top division of English football, and host Liverpool at their 52,000-capacity St James' Park stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne. The club faces elevated expectations following recent domestic success, but enters the new campaign following significant squad rotation.
Jaissle insisted that his squad must concentrate strictly on their own preparations during the final days leading up to Sunday's fixture.
"So for us, the job is to focus on what we can influence," Jaissle said. "Control the controllables. This is our approach. We have a couple of days left to prepare in our best way for the match against Liverpool. We can then deliver in the best possible way at that stage."
Addressing managerial credentials
The upcoming match marks Jaissle's Premier League managerial debut. At 38 years old, the German manager has faced questions from critics regarding his credentials for managing at the top level of English football.
However, Jaissle dismissed outside evaluations of his ability and experience ahead of his competitive debut.
"I don't know how they (people) rank us or how they rank me," Jaissle said. "To be honest, with all the respect, I don't care. It's not something I can influence, the opinion of others. We are good in our approach and we can only focus on what we can influence, and that will be the same on this whole journey with this team."
Squad rebuilding and young signings
Newcastle have made six signings so far during the summer transfer window, with four of those new arrivals aged 20 or under as part of a squad rebuilding effort.
Jaissle appealed for patience from supporters and journalists as the young newcomers adapt to the demands of top-flight football during the early part of the season.
"It’s always good when you have young players that you don’t put even more pressure from outside on them," Jaissle said.
"They have already a lot of pressure and create a lot of pressure by themselves," he added. "From my side, they have full confidence and commitment and trust and respect for the journey they have ahead of them - and it would be nice if the fans and the media could see it in the same way."
Newcastle host Liverpool on Sunday at St James' Park, where Jaissle will lead the team for the first time in an official match.
