Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle acknowledged the club’s recent struggles following consecutive defeats but insisted the downturn was expected given the circumstances surrounding their preseason preparations.

The Magpies suffered a 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa at St James’ Park on Saturday, with Johan Manzambi scoring the decisive goal. The result prompted boos from the home crowd as Newcastle continued to grapple with inconsistent form.

Jaissle pointed to the club’s late appointment and lack of a full preseason as key factors influencing the team’s performance. After Eddie Howe’s resignation, a protracted negotiation with Al-Ahli delayed Jaissle’s arrival, leaving the squad with limited preparation time ahead of the campaign.

He emphasized the significant changes within the coaching staff during this transitional period, describing it as “a huge transition phase” marked by several alterations on the bench. Jaissle noted that these factors made fluctuations in results inevitable.

“It was clear that there would be ups and downs,” Jaissle said, referring to the current sequence of results. “We are now on a down so we need to overcome that.”

Despite the challenges, Jaissle remains focused on steadying the team’s form as the season progresses, aiming to build momentum following a turbulent start marked by managerial turnover and instability.