Lewis Miley’s Lewis Miley Leverkusen debut arrived at St James’ Park on Saturday, but the afternoon took a sour turn within 45 seconds as Ibrahim Maza worked space onto his left foot and lashed the ball past Lukas Hornicek to put Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 up before barely a bead of sweat had been shed.
Miley lined up alongside new signing Sean Steur in central midfield, with Mason Miley (who has had an excellent pre-season) getting the nod at right-back. The Miley brothers starting together was one of the pre-match storylines, but it was the early concession that dominated the opening exchanges at a ground that was close to sold out in the Gallowgate End, though Level 7 remained closed and several seats in the Wings were unsold.
Lewis Miley Leverkusen start raises hopes for Liverpool opener
Miley’s return to the side is a boost for head coach Matthias Jaissle, who is still assessing his squad before next weekend’s Premier League opener against Liverpool. The full Newcastle XI read: Hornicek; M.Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; L.Miley, Steur; Elanga, Woltemade, Barnes; Wissa.
Malick Thiaw captained the side for the second time in three matches, and reporter Sean McCormick noted he looks like a frontrunner to wear the armband when the competitive action begins. Up front, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa started together, a combination Newcastle fans had been pushing for. Wissa has looked sharp in pre-season off the back of a successful World Cup, and McCormick flagged that Woltemade needs a big performance to stake his claim.
Sven Botman came into the game under some scrutiny too, having struggled during pre-season and needing a positive showing to settle any concerns about his form heading into the new campaign.
This is Jaissle’s first home match since replacing Eddie Howe. Writing in the matchday programme, Jaissle said of his predecessor: ‘I must recognise the work of Eddie Howe before me for everything he achieved here. I wish Eddie and his staff nothing but success in the future and thank them for the work they put in before I arrived to leave the team in such a healthy position. Everybody speaks so highly of Eddie and I hope to build a similar connection with our supporters over time.’
Newcastle came into the game having lost 3-1 to Everton in midweek, after a 2-1 win over Valencia. The results are irrelevant in pre-season, but a morale-boosting performance in front of a home crowd would have been welcome. A Leverkusen goal inside a minute was not the start anyone wanted.
Dedic deal and the Hojbjerg saga
Off the pitch, there was plenty happening too. CEO David Hopkinson, sporting director Ross Wilson and head of performance James Bunce were all in their seats, and reporter Lee Ryder noted that transfer talks had been ongoing over the weekend, with progress reported on a deal to bring in Amar Dedic.
Sky Sports reported that Newcastle have agreed a deal worth £29.5m to sign 23-year-old Dedic. Ryder said that while reports of the deal being done were circulating, what he was told was that talks are advanced and moving in the right direction, with Newcastle hoping to tie it up.
The Dedic signing carries an extra dimension. According to Yahoo Sports, Jaissle previously worked with Dedic at Red Bull Salzburg, meaning the full-back would be arriving at a club where he already knows the head coach. Dedic made 46 appearances for Benfica across all competitions before the move, per Yahoo Sports.
Then there was the Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg situation. Newcastle thought they had a deal in place for the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, only for him to pull out late on. The fallout was swift: Marseille manager Bruno Genesio revealed he had been told by club officials to strip Hojbjerg of the captaincy. Genesio said: ‘It’s a decision that was dictated to me by the club’s management. If I want to be completely frank, and I will be, it’s not a decision that I agree with. But I’m an employee, I have to comply with certain obligations. We did it.’ Timothy Weah wore the armband for Marseille’s friendly against Atletico Madrid instead.
Newcastle’s pre-season schedule wraps up on Sunday when RC Strasbourg visit St James’ Park. With the Liverpool game next weekend, Jaissle has one more look at his squad before the points start to matter, and the Dedic deal, if confirmed, would add another piece to a back line that shipped a goal inside the first minute today.