Newcastle United ended their pre-season programme with a penalty shootout defeat to Strasbourg at St James’ Park, but the Aladji Bamba Newcastle performance gave Matthias Jaissle plenty to smile about after a 1-1 draw that went to spot-kicks.
Will Osula had opened the scoring with a header past Strasbourg goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, only for Gessime Yassine to equalise in the second half and force a shootout to decide the VisitMalta Trophy. Sean Neave and Bazoumana Toure converted for Newcastle, but misses from Osula, Jacob Ramsey and Bamba proved costly as Strasbourg goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen saved two of five and the French side ran out 3-2 winners on penalties.
The Aladji Bamba Newcastle performance that caught Jaissle’s eye
The 20-year-old’s best showing in a Newcastle shirt so far came in flashes that Jaissle made a point of applauding in real time. Bamba pressed high, forced an error from the Strasbourg backline, collected the ball in a dangerous area and slipped Osula through on goal. The Denmark international’s cutback found Toure eight yards out, but he blazed over.
The end product did not arrive, yet the intent was exactly what Jaissle wants to see. The head coach shouted his approval across the pitch, and Jacob Murphy sought out Bamba for a congratulatory hug. Both men were clearly delighted by the young winger’s commitment to winning the ball high up the pitch. That kind of pressing intensity has been a recurring theme of Jaissle’s pre-season messaging, and the Aladji Bamba Newcastle performance against Strasbourg suggested it is beginning to land.
Bamba plays with a calmness that belies his age, and his showing here means Jaissle has a genuine selection dilemma for the Premier League opener against Liverpool next week. Toure was also bright throughout, giving the head coach options at winger and in midfield.
Osula backed to fill the void after Isak’s £125m departure
Osula’s header to open the scoring carried weight beyond the scoreline. Newcastle insiders remain confident the forward will become a leading Premier League presence in the near future, and are certain his goalscoring run at the end of last season was no fluke. Chronicle Live understands there has been plenty of interest in Osula from elsewhere this summer, and Newcastle have not entertained selling him.
The faith being placed in Osula takes on added context given the size of the hole left up front. The Guardian reports that Alexander Isak left Newcastle for £125 million last summer, a departure that makes finding a reliable source of goals at the top of the pitch one of the club’s most pressing tasks this season. Osula’s managers are not panicking. They believe he can thrive under Jaissle and the performance against Strasbourg, even without the clinical edge he will need to sharpen, reinforced that view.
He will also face competition for the starting role from Yoane Wissa, who has enjoyed an excellent pre-season and built on a positive World Cup campaign with DR Congo. Whether Osula starts alongside or instead of Wissa against Liverpool next week is one of the more interesting calls Jaissle faces.
Experience counts when it matters
Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, both 34, anchored a backline that also featured youngsters Leo Shahar and Dylan Charlton. Burn in particular carried an elevated sense of authority after starring in England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals and being named captain of his boyhood club. That is the kind of presence that settles a young backline.
Further forward, Murphy was Newcastle’s most creative outlet, creating Osula’s goal and fashioning several other chances. Joe Willock worked well in the No 10 role. Ramsey was arguably the best player on the pitch until he lost possession on the edge of the penalty area for Strasbourg’s equaliser, prompting a furious reaction from Jaissle on the touchline. Even so, the former Villa midfielder’s display was a timely reminder of what the experienced heads in this squad can offer, at a time when Jaissle has leaned heavily on academy players and young signings throughout pre-season.
A poor Strasbourg side and a Women’s result to note
Context matters when assessing the shootout defeat. RC Strasbourg had lost all five of their pre-season fixtures before travelling to St James’ Park: a 7-0 thrashing by Sporting CP, a 2-0 loss to Blackburn Rovers, a 4-3 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, a 5-2 hammering by Elversberg and a 2-0 reverse against Freiburg. Their shootout win over Newcastle ended that run. The Aladji Bamba Newcastle performance and several other positive individual displays sit alongside the fact that the Magpies could not convert a 90-minute draw against one of pre-season’s leakiest sides into a win.
Elsewhere at St James’ Park, NUFC Women fell 2-0 to Inter Milan in front of a healthy crowd, with goals from Marie Detruyer and Elisa Polli settling the result. Tanya Oxtoby’s side now head to Spain for a warm-weather training camp that includes friendlies against Valencia and Manchester United, as they build towards a promotion push to the WSL.