'We couldn't match' - Newcastle United boss outlines where Leeds United won five-goal Elland Road clash
Leeds United took control of Monday’s Premier League clash from the off and won convincingly.
Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle admits his side couldn’t match the intensity of Leeds United on what ended up being a ‘tough night’.
The Magpies suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season in heavy fashion under the Elland Road lights on Monday. Leeds scored three goals in 14 first-half minutes on the way to a commanding 4-1 victory.
Lewis Miley’s 32nd-minute own-goal kickstarted a brilliant period for Leeds, with Jayden Bogle and Dominic Calvert-Lewin both on target before the half-time whistle went. Noah Okafor volleyed home a fourth on the hour mark with Bazoumana Toure’s added-time finish little more than a consolation.
“Yeah, not only one thing went wrong,” Jaissle admitted. “The first half was disappointing, definitely, because we couldn't bring the fundamentals in football on the pitch.
“Dual behaviour, the intensity of Leeds we couldn't match, and then yeah, you see that it's going to be difficult to win a game in the Premier League. As I said to the lads that we were aware of that already a couple of weeks ago.
“With a young squad, we will have challenges. We will have ups and downs. Today it was a big down, a tough night with a heavy defeat. But that's exactly the way to learn out of it with a young squad. That's always the most important thing that you show now the right reaction, and we can do that already on Saturday.”
There felt a fragility about Newcastle after Tanaka’s double-deflected strike floated into the net. A poor pass out from defence led to Bogle’s goal while Calvert-Lewin found it far too easy to make something of Tarik Muharemovic’s flick-on.
Asked if his experienced players struggled to help younger teammates through their first Elland Road experience, Jaissle added: “Yeah, you can say so, but I don't want to point fingers, and I don't want to point any players out tonight.
“I think we were not matching them as a team. The level of intensity, the level of dual behaviours, the level of physicality, and this is something we need to bring on the pitch in every match, because again, this is not negotiable.
“That should be the basics, the fundamentals in football, and even these are young lads. The learning curve needs to be fast. There are different approaches, and every player reacts differently.
“So, again, the fundamentals - that's something non-negotiable. You need to bring on the pitch, and if you then have other areas to improve, also tactically wise, that's something you can work with.”