Yoane Wissa says Newcastle have taken a 'huge step' despite late draw with Liverpool

The Magpies found themselves ahead twice in Sunday's match but couldn't hold on to either lead, with Dominik Szoboszlai's successful penalty kick in the tenth minute of additional time sealing the result for the visitors.

And while it stings to lose out on the full three points in their first match of the season, Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa believes his side have progressed in the short time they've had under new manager Matthias Jaissle.

• Read next | Tactical analysis: Newcastle's counter-attacking ruthlessness met Liverpool's late territorial payoff

"It's rough [to let a win slip away in such fashion], especially 30 seconds before the end of the game, but that's a huge step for us," Wissa told Sky Sports moments after the final whistle. "That's the mentality we need to have through the season.

"The manager came three weeks ago and gave us a lot of information. Now we show on the pitch we are ready for the season. We needed this win to make a statement but in the end we draw. We have so much to work on."

Jaissle was a late replacement for former longtime Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who stepped away from the club late last month. The Magpies moved quickly to find a new manager, settling on the 38-year-old German on Aug. 5. 

That left little time for Jaissle to get his ideas across to his players, but Wissa praised the new boss for his fresh outlook and the amount of responsibility the new manager has given to veteran players like himself and others.

• Read next | 'We will never give up': Late hero Szoboszlai reacts to Liverpool's draw at Newcastle

"He's young, he's got a lot of energy," Wissa said. "I'm really happy he's here. With the new role he's given me it's given me a lot of confidence. I'm one of the leaders so I need to back him. Because on the pitch you can't always hear him so I need to make sure the guys are on alert.

"The manager expects me to be a leader and lead the group. He wants me to be winning balls, making sure everyone is going forward, going for the kill, and sometimes just be calm. He wants me to keep up the energy. He wants a lot of energy and that's the role he gave to me and I am very happy."

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