Matthias Jaissle was asked why Sean Steur didn’t feature for Newcastle United at Coventry City on Monday night.
The Magpies fell to a 4-1 defeat at the Coventry Building Society Arena, yet Steur, who Jaissle hailed as ‘exceptional’ in his previous appearance against Hull City, didn’t get on the pitch.
It was the first time Steur had failed to feature in a competitive match since his £23million arrival from Ajax in the summer.
Newcastle United midfielder Sean Steur (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
Newcastle United midfielder Sean Steur (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
After the win over Hull last month, Jaissle said: “He was exceptional, like the other players as well. It was a performance you would wish from a really experienced, mature, old player, but he's so young. Showing that after a match where he was not at his highest level, where he already got a lot of criticism...
“We are emotionally stable, we give him all, and the other lads as well, all the confidence, the support, and then he's showing up like this. It's really special, not normal in football for a young lad, so I'm really pleased.
“On the other hand, it also shows that we have a young squad, and they need to adapt to the physicality of that league, that you can perform like this over 90 minutes plus additional time. So that will also be the next step for the upcoming months.”
But when asked why Steur didn’t get on the pitch, Jaissle’s justification was simple.
“Because in that position Nico Gonzalez was starting,” Jaissle said. “Therefore, we decided to play Nico.”
Gonzalez marked his return from a concussion injury by coming straight back into the starting line-up and ultimately remaining on the pitch for the duration of the match. Steur’s lack of involvement and Jaissle’s comments would suggest the Newcastle head coach’s reluctance to play the midfield duo together.