2
Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle has revealed that German international Malick Thiaw has established himself as one of the Premier League club’s most influential players. The 25-year-old defender is now part of Newcastle’s leadership group and serves as the team’s third captain.
Speaking in an extensive interview published in Monday’s print edition of Kicker, in which he also discussed German international Nick Woltemade, Jaissle praised the former Schalke and AC Milan defender for his performances and growing influence within Newcastle’s dressing room.
“Malick is doing an outstanding job,” Jaissle explained. “Of course, he’s a fantastic footballer, but he also has a significant influence on the team. He’s part of our leadership group and our third captain.”
The remarks represent another encouraging development for Thiaw, who has also recently established himself as an important member of Jürgen Klopp’s German national team.
Malick Thiaw impresses in Germany’s tactical overhaul under Jürgen Klopp
Thiaw was among the defenders selected for Klopp’s extraordinary 44-player Germany squad ahead of the September and October international fixtures. Klopp retained Thiaw despite his stated desire to distance himself from the previous coaching regime of Julian Nagelsmann and the failed World Cup campaign. The Newcastle centre-back subsequently delivered an excellent performance in Germany’s 2-0 Nations League victory over Serbia, helping the new Bundestrainer claim his first victory in charge.
Get German Football News’ analysis of five underrated performers from the Serbia victory highlighted Thiaw’s contributions, particularly his ability to defend aggressively, win individual duels, and maintain possession under pressure. The defender completed 96 percent of his 96 attempted passes, accumulated 108 touches, won 70 percent of his ten ground duels, and prevailed in 75 percent of his eight aerial challenges.
Thiaw also registered three shots worth 0.26 expected goals, nearly adding his name to the scoresheet with a late header.
Thiaw’s defensive intelligence provides important stability
As examined in Get German Football News’ comprehensive tactical analysis of Klopp’s first three Germany matches, Thiaw played an important role in enabling the team’s more adventurous attacking structure against Serbia.
Klopp encouraged his fullbacks to advance aggressively, with Freiburg’s Philipp Treu frequently pushing high up the right flank. That approach inevitably created space behind the attacking fullback, requiring the remaining defenders to adjust their positioning.
Thiaw responded by shifting towards the vacated right defensive channel when necessary, helping Germany retain sufficient protection against Serbian counterattacks. His positional awareness complemented the work of Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof, and Florian Wirtz, whose coordinated midfield movements helped Germany sustain pressure and recover possession quickly.
The performance demonstrated that Thiaw could contribute to Klopp’s attacking philosophy without compromising his primary defensive responsibilities. Germany allowed Serbia just one shot and 0.01 expected goals during the entire match.
Newcastle’s German defender emerges as a leading figure
Jaissle’s latest comments suggest that Thiaw’s influence is also being recognised beyond his international performances. Newcastle are currently undergoing a significant rebuilding process under their new German coach, with the club adopting a youth-oriented recruitment strategy and a more aggressive approach to pressing and attacking transitions.
Jaissle has described the project as a “Brave Vision”, with Newcastle fielding the youngest team in the Premier League based on the average age of players used. In such circumstances, experienced and dependable figures within the dressing room have an important role to play. Thiaw’s position as third captain indicates that the club’s management values his contributions beyond his defensive performances.
