Matthias Jaissle's first match in charge of Newcastle United ended in victory, but the new head coach was quick to temper any early enthusiasm following the club's 2-1 Orange Trophy triumph over Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium in his debut pre-season friendly.
Despite lifting the trophy, Jaissle made clear there would be no wild celebrations. "We will not smash the locker room now and celebrate a lot," he said. "We still have a lot to work on."
The contest proved to be far from straightforward. Newcastle found themselves behind inside the opening four minutes when Filip Ugrinic curled home an opener for Valencia. The match then turned ugly when Anthony Elanga had to be stretchered off after a poor challenge from Jose Gaya, who was sent off as a result. Jaissle admitted he feared the worst in the moment, saying he was "in fear" watching the incident unfold, though he later confirmed Elanga was able to walk and the injury, a bruised shin, is not considered serious.
Rather than being derailed by the setback, Newcastle rallied. Substitute Yoane Wissa came off the bench to net twice and secure the win, while fellow new arrivals Bazoumana Toure and Sean Steur, who joined this summer from Hoffenheim and Ajax respectively, also impressed after entering the game.
"Winning games always helps to gain confidence," Jaissle said. "We also knew that we had a hard week behind us. The players did well and there was a huge commitment to see in each session, so they really deserve two days off and then we start again."
The friendly arrives amid a period of significant upheaval at St James' Park. Eddie Howe's departure as head coach came alongside the exits of several key figures, including Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, who have all left the club within the past year. Traveling supporters responded with dark humor, reworking old chants that once name-checked Guimaraes and Isak — now at Arsenal and Liverpool — to reflect the club's new reality.
With so much turnover, Jaissle is now overseeing a notably younger squad. Forward Harvey Barnes, at 28, was the oldest player in Newcastle's starting lineup against Valencia. The match also saw debuts handed to goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek (24), midfielder Aladji Bamba (20) and forward Toure (20), while 18-year-old Steur made a strong impression off the bench. Defender Malick Thiaw, meanwhile, captained the side on his 25th birthday.
Developing young talent is familiar territory for Jaissle, who built a reputation for nurturing emerging players during his time at RB Salzburg — a key factor behind his appointment. "Time is the key," he said. "They're young lads. It's never going to be easy in football, especially at the highest level, but we're here to do that."
Throughout the match, Jaissle was an animated presence on the touchline, frequently stepping outside his technical area and even jogging alongside his players as they pushed forward.
The German has also signaled he is willing to make tough calls early on. Goalkeeper Nick Pope, a regular under Howe, was left out of the squad entirely for the Valencia clash. "I had a talk with Nick," Jaissle explained. "I really appreciate what he did in his career so far. He knows exactly the situation right now and we need to deal with it in the best possible way, but I always appreciate the player and the human being behind."
With the club still looking to add experienced reinforcements, particularly in midfield, senior players such as Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are expected to play important leadership roles. Jaissle now heads to Newcastle for the first time as head coach, with an official unveiling at St James' Park expected next week.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.