There was a time, a couple of years ago, when it was rumoured a double Champions League winner was Eddie Howes probable replacement at Newcastle. Rubbish, according to some close to the club: they were not going for Jose Mourinho. Instead, after Howe has gone now, a double Asian Champions League winner is taking over, in Matthias Jaissle.Young, German, relatively unknown and an advocate of pressing, Jaissle represents a very different kind of appointment. The second manager brought in since Newcastles Saudi takeover, the 38-year-old joins a club at a crossroads; one interpretation is that they are changing direction, another that they are going backwards.Matthias Jaissle looks set to be the next Newcastle manager (Getty)Brilliant a job as Howe did, the scale of the task Jaissle inherits does not merely reflect the difficulty of following the first manager to take a domestic trophy to Tyneside since the 1950s or of managing expectations.When Newcastle start their season against Liverpool, they will almost certainly be without the four players of most pedigree who started the equivalent fixture last August: Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon, the only Englishmen to score in World Cup semi-finals since 1990, and Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastles two classiest midfielders in decades. Bruno Guimaraes (left) looks set to follow Anthony Gordon out of Newcastle (Getty)Guimaraes probable move to Arsenal, following Tonalis 100m transfer to Tottenham and Gordons 69m switch to Barcelona, will create multiple holes. Part of Jaissles job will be one of persuasion: ensuring that three big sales this summer, after the veteran Trippier left when his contract expired, do not become a rush to the exits, with players such as Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento following. A side that had a surfeit of leaders could soon look short of them. Dan Burn is the logical successor to Guimaraes as captain, even if the long-term ideal may be to pair Sven Botman with Malick Thiaw in the heart of the defence. But as Newcastle overdoes it on youth, there are few other alternatives as skipper.Dan Burn could be Newcastles next captain (PA Wire)A midfield that ranked among the best is no more, with the departure of the two most stylish components, only Joelinton remaining and questions if he may be in decline. The arrivals of 20-year-old Aladji Bamba and 18-year-old Sean Steur show Newcastle have started to build their next-gen midfield; but each has only had a season of regular first-team football. They are long-term acquisitions, but Newcastle will have short-term imperatives. Some sort of unit is required: the precocious Lewis Miley should be in it, but there are doubts about Joe Willocks future and Jacob Ramsey had an underwhelming first year in the north-east.And even with high-calibre players, Newcastle were reliant on Guimaraes. Since he broke into the team in 2022, they only won two league games without the Brazilian. He was their top scorer in the top flight last season and their talisman.Newcastle have been reliant upon Bruno Guimaraes (PA Wire)In attack, Jaissle is confronted with the problem that seemed to confound Howe: what to do with the 125m duo who were bought with the proceeds of Alexander Isaks sale. Had Howe stayed, the probability was that Will Osula would have started the season as the first-choice striker, not the 55m Yoane Wissa or the 69m Nick Woltemade. The Congolese had a good World Cup but scored one goal in 19 league games for Newcastle; the German sometimes ended up as a No 10 or a No 8 under Howe during a spell of one in 26 in all competitions.Anthony Elanga was a third unsuccessful attacking addition last summer, though, like Wissa, he showed some of his ability at the World Cup. Gordons sale should at least resolve a problem Newcastle created for themselves: he and Harvey Barnes were both best suited to the left flank and now the latter, perhaps the best finisher at the club, should be starting, though the 42m Bazoumana Toure has also arrived.Harvey Barnes could be given a bigger role after the departure of Anthony Gordon (PA)But he is one of four newcomers who cost more than 100m between them but are aged 18 or 20; Newcastles change in recruitment policy may have been enforced by financial regulations, and a Uefa fine for breaching spending caps, but it means that both they need to improve the emerging talents they have bought and get results in the meantime.In goal, it is notable that Howes perennial target James Trafford has eluded them; enter Ewen Jaouen and, probably, Lukas Hornicek, the latter seemingly to start and presumably to prompt Nick Popes exit. But the rebuilding feels unfinished: with Trippier going, they lack alternatives to Hall and Livramento in the full-back roles. With Guimaraes going, they may need another midfielder. For now, centre-back may be the only position where Newcastle have both proven quality and quantity.Elsewhere, they have imported potential but have ended up selling successful signings and keeping some so far unsuccessful ones. Howe ultimately joined the ranks of managers who constructed one terrific team but not a second at the same club. Whatever the current squad becomes, for now the starting 11 could look Newcastles weakest since Howe kept them up in 2022.Howe leaves a weakening Newcastle squad behind (PA Wire)They come off a demoralising second half of last season, are further jolted by Howes decision to step away and begin the campaign with potentially chastening reunions with Isak and Tonali. There is a lot that could go wrong.The counter-argument is that much has gone right in Jaissles coaching career. Newcastle can look at his win percentages with Liefering, RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli 64, 68 and 65 respectively and hope for something similar.Matthias Jaissle boasts a strong record but has taken a tough job (PA Wire)But the warnings come from their own history. Newcastle can seem dependent on the minority of managers who can galvanise a club and a region. After Kevin Keegan left (the first time), they finished in the bottom half in each of the next four full seasons. After Bobby Robsons sacking, they did that year and in three of the next four. Howes reign ended in the anti-climax of 12th place, and Jaissle takes on a team that has then been stripped of its stars, deprived of its manager and plunged into transition.