"It is a great responsibility." Matthias Jaissle used that line to frame the mood around Newcastle, as the club reportedly keep faith with him before Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace. The language is calmer than the results. Newcastle have two wins, two draws and three defeats from their opening seven Premier League games, sit 11th in the table and have lost three of their last four top-flight matches.

Jaissle's public line on the pressure

Jaissle also said, "There is a setback at the moment and we need to overcome it." That is the key distinction for Newcastle right now. He is not pretending the run has been good, but he is also not treating it like the job is falling apart after seven league matches.

The numbers make the frustration obvious. Newcastle have conceded nine goals in their last four league games, which is a poor stretch even by early-season standards. The board’s stance appears to match the league table more than the noise around it, and 11th is still a difficult place to call a crisis in October.

Team news for Selhurst Park

There is at least some movement on the squad front. Anthony Elanga is back in the squad after a month out, and Jacob Ramsey could return to the squad at Selhurst Park. Jaissle said, "We need to take it step-by-step with him, we don't want to take too many risks. I am pleased that slowly we are getting the players back."

Elanga’s return matters because he has scored twice in the league and has made only three Premier League appearances this season. Ramsey has also been limited to three league appearances, so both names give Newcastle options they have not had for much of the month. Ewen Jaouen is expected to miss several months with a hamstring injury, though, so the injury picture is still mixed rather than fixed.

Sunday’s fixture, Crystal Palace vs Newcastle, is less about a statement win than a check on whether the wobble can be steadied. Newcastle leave with the backing still in place, but the run of results means Selhurst Park arrives early in the season as a very live pressure point.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →