Matthias Jaissle wants Newcastle United to press high… so why is it so bad?

Matthias Jaissle wants his Newcastle United side to press high, that has been more than evident this season so far. But what last night’s defeat against Aston Villa told us is that the press in its current form is completely dysfunctional in almost every capacity.

For a side that are looking to be aggressive and on the front foot, the statistics that should back that sentiment up would actually suggest Jaissle’s men are decidedly passive when it comes to pressuring the opposition in build-up, even if that isn’t the case.

So, if the desire to press is there, but the statistics and eye test both tell us that the press is almost entirely ineffective, why on earth is it going so wrong?