John Anderson Supports Matthias Jaissle’s Appointment at Newcastle

Former Newcastle United defender John Anderson has expressed his initial unfamiliarity with Matthias Jaissle prior to his appointment as head coach, yet he believes the German should not be prematurely dismissed.

Many Newcastle fans regard the 38-year-old as a “shrewd appointment.”

Advertisement

In a discussion on BBC Radio Newcastle, Anderson shared his views, noting, “If I’m being perfectly honest, I had to look him up just like everybody else. He did well in Austria and Saudi Arabia, but the one thing you would say is the Premier League is a different kind of animal.

“We have seen unknown managers come to the Premier League and be successful, though. For example, Bournemouth and Brentford have taken managers that nobody has heard of before and they have turned them into a success.

“So you’ve got to give the boy a chance. We might not know a great deal about him, but he is young so he will be hungry.

“He speaks very well and he likes front-footed football, which is what supporters want to see.

Advertisement

“It will be difficult for him, there’s no doubt about it, especially because he has already lost some of his best players, but hopefully a few players come in before the window closes.

“But you most definitely have to give the man an opportunity.”

Listen to the full conversation below or listen on BBC Sounds