Abdulhafiz TeslimNewcastle United finally got their first competitive win under Matthias Jaissle as they battled their way to a 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the Carabao Cup.
It was far from a straightforward night for the Magpies. West Brom twice took the lead at St James’ Park, forcing Newcastle to show character and fight their way back into the contest.
Eventually, the home side completed the turnaround, with the result giving Jaissle an important first victory and Newcastle a place in the next round.
But beyond the result, there was one particularly encouraging performance that caught the attention of Newcastle legend Alan Shearer.
The former Magpies captain was impressed by the youngster’s confidence, energy and willingness to make an impact despite being relatively new to the first-team environment.
🗣️ “He was absolutely outstanding.”
🗣️ “This lad has a huge future ahead.”
🗣️ “He’s already showing more than some of those before him.”
Shearer’s praise is significant given his knowledge of what it takes to succeed in front of the demanding Newcastle supporters.
The player in question did not simply look like someone making up the numbers. He played with purpose, attacked defenders and showed the kind of personality that Newcastle will hope to see more of as the season progresses.
His performance was made even more memorable by the fact that he found the back of the net, giving the Newcastle supporters another reason to get excited about his potential.
For Jaissle, the emergence of players capable of competing for regular first-team opportunities will be particularly welcome.
The German coach is still shaping his squad and assessing the options available to him. Performances like this can make those decisions much more difficult — but in a positive way.
And the youngster responsible for catching Shearer’s eye was Bazoumana Touré.
The summer arrival marked his Newcastle debut in impressive fashion, scoring the opening goal and immediately giving supporters a glimpse of what he could bring to the team.
There is obviously a long way to go, and one impressive performance does not guarantee a starting place. But if Touré continues developing at this rate, Newcastle could have another exciting young player pushing his way into Jaissle’s plans.
For the Toon Army, that is arguably one of the biggest positives to take from the West Brom victory.
And if Shearer’s assessment proves correct, Newcastle may have just witnessed the beginning of something special.
Abdulhafiz Teslim
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