“Eddie Howe turned Newcastle’s dreams into reality. In the end, he had nothing left to give”

“Of course, I have influences,” Jaissle told GiveMeSport back in 2024. “Ralf Rangnick played a big part in developing my ideas because I played under him for most of my playing career. And in my youth, I had Thomas Tuchel, so I have followed his principles and career.

“Then there’s Jurgen Klopp – I often looked at the transitions he put in place with Liverpool. In possession, I like how Pep Guardiola finds structure and balance. And there’s a lot to take from Roberto De Zerbi’s build-up as well. It’s a constant learning process. And in the next few years, I’m sure there will be a different coach to draw inspiration from.

“When our opponents ‘park the bus’, it’s about being creative and disciplined and finding a good structure to create as many chances as possible without being wild on the pitch. It’s a never-ending process because you always need to develop your ideas as a coach without abandoning your roots.”

Supercomputer Machine Football’s analysis of Jaissle shows his style of play has evolved over time, too. At Al-Ahli, he moved away from the system that saw him win two Austrian Bundesliga titles with RB Salzburg to a 4-2-3-1 with Al-Ahli.

In his second season at the club, the formation remained the same but the emphasis shifted away from wing play and towards creating higher-quality chances, with expected goals rising from 1.59 per 90 to 1.97 and points per game increasing to 2.04.

That flexibility saw Al-Ahli crowned AFC Champions League winners and they backed it up last season by winning the title again. What defined that campaign though is that Jaissle used a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 formation when certain games depended on it and he admits part of his style is to ‘adapt without losing my principles’.

“At Salzburg, I played a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. At Al-Ahli, we use a 4-2-3-1 system. You have to adjust to the squad you have as well as the circumstances. For example, the temperature can be a factor. This was a learning process for me, to adapt without losing my principles. I don’t worry too much about the exact formation. It’s fluid.

“For instance, Bobby [Firmino] can be a No 10, a false nine or a second striker, and the way our wingers attack full-backs, it’s almost like the eights in a diamond midfield. So there are some small differences in positions compared to my team at Salzburg, at least on paper, but the principles remain the same.”