adminMatthias Jaissle has wasted little time showing that Newcastle United’s youngsters will have a genuine opportunity under his management, and one player in particular has given the new boss plenty to think about after an impressive performance against Valencia.
Leo Shahar was one of the biggest beneficiaries of Jaissle’s first game in charge as Newcastle secured a 2-1 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium.
With Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall unavailable because of minor injury concerns, Jaissle had a major decision to make at full-back.
The new Newcastle boss could have followed the approach used by Eddie Howe at Bristol City and moved Jacob Murphy into an unfamiliar right-back role.
Instead, Jaissle chose to trust the youngsters.
Shahar was handed the opportunity to operate at right-back, while Miodrag Pivas started on the opposite side.
It was a significant decision from the new manager, particularly given that Shahar had previously been considered a potential candidate for a loan move.
The 19-year-old has made just one competitive appearance for Newcastle, coming in the Champions League victory over Qarabag in February, and Howe had previously suggested that a temporary move could be considered for the youngster later in the summer.
However, Jaissle appears willing to take a much closer look before making any decision.
Shahar’s performance at the Mestalla certainly gave him another reason to do so.
The young defender looked composed throughout his 45-minute appearance, winning important tackles and showing confidence when Newcastle had possession.
It was also an important test of character.
Playing in front of a 49,430-capacity Mestalla Stadium is a completely different experience from playing behind closed doors against Darlington or appearing in a pre-season match against Gateshead.
Yet Shahar looked comfortable.
His involvement was also particularly notable because it came during Jaissle’s first match as Newcastle manager.
The former Al-Ahli boss had already seen the youngster impress during the club’s pre-season training camp in La Manga, and that appears to have been enough for him to reward Shahar with an opportunity against Valencia.
And the decision could prove significant.
Newcastle have yet to sign another right-back, while Livramento remains unavailable because of injury. That leaves a clear opening for someone to step forward and convince Jaissle that he can contribute to the first team.
Shahar has now taken his opportunity.
Interestingly, his 45-minute appearance may also have been carefully managed with Wednesday’s game against Everton in mind, particularly with Livramento still expected to be sidelined.
That means there could be another opportunity waiting for him.
Jaissle also showed that his willingness to trust young players extends beyond Shahar.
Mason Miley replaced him at half-time and also looked comfortable at right-back. Although naturally a midfielder, Miley has experience playing in the position at under-18 and under-21 level.
Miodrag Pivas was another youngster given an extended opportunity during pre-season, while Henry Johnson was handed 20 minutes at centre-half after replacing Malick Thiaw.
But Shahar’s situation stands out.
The teenager has gone from potentially being considered for a loan move to suddenly finding himself in the conversation for a first-team role under a new manager who appears determined to judge players on what they can offer him rather than simply relying on previous decisions.
That could change everything.
Jaissle has already made one thing clear through his selection against Valencia: opportunities will be available.
For Shahar, the next challenge is to make sure this is not simply a memorable pre-season appearance.
Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures against Everton, Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg will provide further opportunities for the youngster to convince his manager.
And if he continues performing at the same level, it could become increasingly difficult for Jaissle to overlook him.
The right-back position remains open, Livramento is still recovering from injury, and Newcastle have not yet added another specialist player in the position.
For Shahar, that means the door is open.
Jaissle has already shown the trust.
Now the youngster has the opportunity to make the position his own.
admin
Abdulhafiz Teslim
