Newcastle United's pre-season preparations hit a bump on Wednesday night as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Everton in a friendly at Murrayfield, a result that exposed the defensive fragility of a heavily revamped squad under new head coach Jaissle.
The visitors began brightly, with new signing Bazoumana Toure impressing down the left flank with his pace and directness. Despite the promising start, Newcastle failed to convert their early chances and gradually became more exposed at the back as the first half progressed.
Everton took the lead in the 27th minute after a long ball from James Tarkowski caused confusion in Newcastle's backline. Thierno Barry got in behind a hesitant Sven Botman to break clear, and although Lewis Hall recovered to make a last-ditch challenge, he could only clear the ball into the path of Harrison Armstrong. The midfielder calmly squared it for Barry to slot past goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
Jaissle reacted with visible frustration on the touchline, urging his players to respond - much as they had done in his opening game in charge, a 2-1 comeback win over Valencia. However, Everton doubled their advantage soon after when Iliman Ndiaye converted from the penalty spot, following a contentious decision that penalized Joelinton for a foul on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inside the box. The decision drew jeering chants of