Portugal Colonial - Jaissle states Newcastle ambition but urges patience

Howe left St James' Park at the end of July after nearly five years in charge, with a clutch of senior players -- captain Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon -- all departing during the summer transfer window.

Saudi-backed Newcastle have signed a group of young players including Bazoumana Toure, Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba, but the departures have left the squad short of experience.

Nevertheless, former RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli boss Jaissle remains upbeat.

"We are ambitious. That's the most important thing -- also why I decided to come here. But this will not happen overnight," he said at his first press conference at St James' Park on Tuesday.

"The players who left the club, they were great players, great characters, experienced players and this is now a vacuum. Other players need to step in.

"It's a big challenge, always when there's a transition period, but it's no time to complain. It doesn't make sense to see the negative things. We want to see the chance in that situation and that's our approach from day one."

Jaissle, who guided RB Salzburg to back-to-back Austrian league titles and Saudi side Al-Ahli to successive Asian Champions League crowns, said Newcastle had options in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

"Either we adjust something in the squad, by signing these players, these profiles, or other players need to step up and fill these positions, these leadership roles," he said.

"So I am quite optimistic, we can work in both scenarios. My job is to do the best out of it."

Jaissle steered clear of setting a firm target for Newcastle, who limped to a 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

"I'm long enough now in the industry that you cannot promise anything," he said. "It makes no sense to promise things now because I don't know how things look in half a year or in one year. What we can control, we will control."

Englishman Howe revitalised a club that had struggled for decades, securing a first major trophy in 56 years by winning the League Cup in 2025 and twice qualifying for the Champions League.

Newcastle start their Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool on August 23.

S.Caetano--PC