A new coach-inspired project, this time with Matthias Jaissle and Newcastle.

The starting point was a 4-2-3-1 built around direct transitions, vertical attacks and a structure that could remain aggressive without turning every match into an uncontrolled game.

The final result was much stronger than I expected.

🏆 Season Results

🏆 Premier League Champions

📈 101 points

✅ 33 wins🤝 2 draws❌ 3 defeats

⚽ 123 goals scored

🧱 37 goals conceded

💥 +86 goal difference

🏆 Carabao Cup Winners

⭐ Champions League: Round of 16

🏆 FA Cup: Third Round

The league campaign is the main story here. Newcastle were expected to fight for European qualification and instead finished with 101 points.

Even better, the home record was perfect:

19 games19 wins72 goals scored14 conceded

No draw. No defeat.

📊 The Numbers

The tactic finished the Premier League season with:

→ 102.04 xG→ 27.40 xGA→ 87.74 xPTS→ 2.66 points per game

The Data Hub also gives us a pretty clear picture of what the system was doing.

→ 20.0 shots per game→ 3.2 goals per game→ 2.5 non-penalty xG/90→ 0.7 xGA per game→ 14 clean sheets→ 90% pass completion

Possession was only 50%, which I actually like for this recreation.

This was never supposed to become another possession-heavy tactic just because we could make one.

The team could dominate matches through territory, chance creation and attacking output without needing to dominate the ball.

The 4-2-3-1

This version uses a fairly recognisable 4-2-3-1, but the roles create some interesting asymmetry.

In Possession

GK

RB: Full BackRCB: Ball-Playing Centre-BackLCB: Centre-BackLB: Wing-Back

CM: Mobile PlaymakerCM: Central Midfielder

RW: WingerAMC: Attacking MidfielderLW: Inside Forward

ST: Complete-style focal point / CHF

The two sides are deliberately not identical.

One flank can provide more traditional width while the other allows the Inside Forward and Wing-Back to attack different spaces.

The midfield also isn't built around two identical holding players. One can move and connect while the other provides another layer of support.

Without the Ball

The out-of-possession roles change the behaviour of several positions.

The wide attacking players become more responsible, the midfield works differently defensively and the striker becomes the first reference for the defensive phase.

This was important because I didn't want the tactic to simply be:

4-2-3-1 + maximum pressing + everybody forward.

The goal was to preserve a recognisable attacking structure while giving the team enough protection behind it.

And the 27.40 league xGA suggests that the structure was doing something right.

Transition Over Possession

One of the most interesting results is the possession number.

Newcastle finished 9th in average possession with 50%, while still producing:

123 goals101 points102.04 xG

That tells you quite a lot about the tactic.

This is not a system designed to accumulate possession for the sake of possession.

When the opportunity exists, we attack.

The team can move the ball properly, with 90% passing accuracy, but the objective is progressing the attack rather than simply extending the possession sequence.

That is why I think the Fluid Counter-Attack / Positive base fits this version quite well.

The Front Four

The attacking output was spread across several players, but some numbers clearly stand out.

🔥 Nick Woltemade47 goals + 11 assists

🎯 Jacob Ramsey20 goals + 13 assists

⚡ Anthony Elanga10 goals + 26 assists

⚽ Yoane Wissa15 goals + 5 assists

The attacking midfielder and wide players aren't just there to feed the striker.

All four positions contribute differently.

Elanga's 26 assists are particularly interesting because they show how productive the wide role became without needing to turn him into another goalscorer.

Full-Back Output

The full-backs were also heavily involved.

Tino Livramento:13 goals + 11 assists

Lewis Hall:1 goal + 13 assists

Again, the roles are asymmetric, and I think that is important for this tactic.

I didn't want both sides behaving in exactly the same way.

The different movements give the front four different types of support depending on which side the attack develops.

The Season Wasn't Perfect

And this is important.

The Premier League season was exceptional and we won the Carabao Cup, but we did not dominate every competition.

We went out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 against Atlético Madrid, despite winning the first leg away 3-2.

The FA Cup ended in the Third Round against Manchester City.

So this isn't a case where I'm showing only the good screenshots and pretending the system won everything.

It didn't.

But across a full league season, the performance was extremely strong.

Overall Gameplay

Across all competitions:

🎮 55 matches played

✅ 44 wins

🤝 4 draws

❌ 7 defeats

⚽ 159 goals scored

🧱 58 conceded

💥 +101 goal difference

📊 80% win rate

Every match was played.

Recreation vs FM26 Adaptation

As always with these projects, there is a difference between recreating an idea and blindly forcing Football Manager roles to reproduce real football.

The structure and tactical identity are the starting point.

From there, some decisions are FM26 adaptations.

The objective is to preserve the idea while making sure the tactic actually behaves properly inside the match engine.

So I would consider this a recreation first, with engine-specific adjustments where necessary.

What You Get

📥 FM26 Matthias Jaissle Newcastle 2026 4-2-3-1 Recreation

→ Tactic .fmf file→ Full save file→ Season screenshots and data→ Tactical setup→ Player Instructions→ Team Instructions→ TI/PI video included for console players

Final Thoughts

I like this one because it gives us something different from many of the possession recreations I've been working on.

50% possession.101 points.123 league goals.27.40 xGA.19 home matches, 19 wins.

It doesn't need to monopolise the ball to control the game.

The control comes from how the team attacks space, how quickly it progresses after recovering possession and how the structure supports those attacks.

It is aggressive, but the defensive numbers remain very good.

For me, that's what makes this Jaissle recreation interesting.