Jaissle's Cup Gamble: Stick or Twist at Everton?

For the first time in weeks, Matthias Jaissle has a problem he'd probably welcome.

Newcastle have won away from home, kept a clean sheet and climbed to seventh in the Premier League.

But just as the manager appears to have found something resembling a winning formula, Thursday night's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Everton presents him with another selection dilemma.

Does he stick with the players who delivered at Selhurst Park, or twist and give those left out another opportunity?

Don't Change a Winning Team?

That's the old football saying, isn't it?

And after the criticism Jaissle has endured, there must be a temptation to send out virtually the same eleven that beat Crystal Palace.

Burn and Schär brought some much-needed stability to the defence, Joelinton rediscovered his physical presence, Murphy supplied a terrific cross and Osula took his goal superbly.

Why change something that finally worked?

But there's another side to the argument.

Let's not forget that Newcastle were pretty dreadful in the first half at Palace.

A much-improved second-half performance shouldn't disguise the fact that we still have plenty of problems to solve.

And surely a squad assembled at enormous expense should be capable of competing in both competitions?

What About Wissa, Botman and Thiaw?

Osula deserves enormous credit for Sunday's goal, but Wissa needs playing time too.

Thursday could be the ideal opportunity to give him another runout as a ST when he's mostly been used this season as a 10.

Then there's Botman and Thiaw.

Both were left out at Palace, and both will be desperate to reclaim their places.

With Burn and Schar both having just returned to the team from injury, and in advancing years, it could be a risk playing them in the EFL Cup and in the PL home game against Everton next Monday.

I'd expect at least one of Thiaw or Botman to start on Thirsday.

And what about some of the young summer signings like Toure, Bamba, and also Steur, will the first two players having had very few minutes on the pitch.

We expected these lads to get minutes under their belt in the cups but is away to Everton the right fixture?

The PL Is Our No.1 Priority This Season

Here's where I think Jaissle needs to be careful.

Newcastle won the Carabao Cup in 2025, ending that seemingly endless wait for a major domestic trophy.

We know what winning silverware means to this club and us supporters.

So I don't want to see wholesale changes and a weakened side simply because it's a cup competition.

But neither do I think we should be frightened of making four or five changes when we've spent so heavily assembling this squad.

The PL is the absolute priority this season and, as welcome as the win at Palace was, no way does it signify that we have turned a corner in cutting out the weaknesses that have been evident all season.

It would be great to win at Everton and progress into the next round of the EFL Cup, especially with a 'second team' and that would go some way to showing that we have decent strength in depth.

But, whatever team Jaissle selects, I'm not going to get too downbeat if we lose.

The absolute priority is to beat Everton in the PL at SJP next Monday.

What would you do? Keep Sunday's winning eleven, make a handful of changes, or give the summer signings another chance to prove themselves?

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