Ross Wilson Tees Up Jaissle To Drive Newcastle A Fair Way This Season

Golfers know the right clubs in your bag can make all the difference to your game - and Ross Wilson has bought the equivalent of top drawer drivers, chippers and putters that give Matthias Jaissle the tools to Open up the Big 6 and putt them in their place.

OK, that's a bit of a play on words...

But we are all feeling that from having the shaking yips just a few weeks ago, we now believe there is a steady hand on the club and the tools in the bag to drive our way up the PL and compete for a top 6 place and the domestic cups.

We've already had the equivalent of a birdie at the first hole by taking 4pts off Liverpool and Spurs when many fans believed we might have a double bogie.

Beat Bournemouth at SJP on Saturday and we'll be right up near the top of the leader board and I wouldn't bet against us staying there until the last ball is kicked this season.

A Transformational Window A Transformed Squad

Who would have thought after Trippier, Gordon, Tonali and Bruno departed that we could now look at our squad and be justified in asking... is it a better one?

We have two young goalkeepers with No.1 Hornicek now looking the real deal.

Replacing Trippier we have Dedic who looks a steal at £34M and gives Tino Livramento stern competition and gives us the options at RB we needed.

At CB Botman is showing signs of getting back to his best and in Thiaw, Burn and Schar we have PL battle hardened options for the two CB starters + Burn provides LB cover for Hall who will surely confirm this season that he is the best in his position in the PL.

For the two in front of the back four step up new signing Nico Gonzalez who will partner Lewis Miley and, if Spurs is anything to go by, what a partnership that will be + we have Steur and Bamba who provide a high energy technical and physical back up .

And, where does Jo fit in?

But, it's up front where the real transformation has taken place.

Born again Wissa, Elanga and Willock have already underlined their massive improvement in form by scoring four goals between them already this season.

They really ARE like having three new signings.

Harvey Barnes has picked up where he left off last season with two goals in the bag but he can't rest on his laurels because £43M Toure will be bursting to grab his chance.

On the right the dependable Murphy has been kept to back up Electric Elanga who will be the first player in our history to score in the first three PL games of a season if he hits the back of the net again on Saturday.

At 10 take your pick from Willock, Wissa, Ramsey and new boy Pardo...

As the main ST we've also got three options; Osula, Wissa and the mercurial Pardo with our latest signing also able to cover both wings.

If they all weigh in with a few goals each we don't need a 20 goal ST to bang in a good goal tally this season.

Bags Of Options...

For A Flexible Manager

A rigid 4-3-3 was one of the reasons why many fans felt Eddie Howe's reign had run it's course.

It served us superbly for a good while, won us a cup, and propelled us into the CL.

And then... it seemed to run out of steam and hit a stone wall that we couldn't crack.

Step up Matthias Jaissle, ably abetted by Ross Wilson, and we now have the squad options to give us more flexibility than a spandex leotard (you should see me in mine!).

Jezza is just the man to exploit those options to the full and he has shown already that he doesn't wait for the traditional 60 minute mark to make subs... with a bench full of eager players bursting to impress he'll hook anyone at anytime not putting a shift in.

I also expect Jezza not to be bound to 4-2-3-1 - there will be flexibility from the KO and during games - and it is also evident that when defending we drop to 4-5-1 knowing that we have the speed merchants to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

So...

IMO we are all tee'd up for a good long cracking drive this season.

Putt the doom and gloom of a few weeks ago in the locker room. And leave it there.

There might be a few bogies in the round but I reckon there will be more pars and some spectacular birdies that will see us leading the field more often than not.

Hats off to Ross Wilson for putting the clubs in the bag...

It's now over to Jezza to use them wisely and effectively.

And I'm sure he will.

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