Sky Sports’ obsession with Alexander Isak continues, with it on display for all the wrong reasons once again today.
After last night’s 4-0 aggregate win over Arsenal, sending us to Wembley or the second time in three seasons, you’d think the conversation would finally stray away from the striker’s future.
However, with former Gunner Paul Merson in the studio on Thursday morning to discuss the game…or where our star striker is going to end up this summer.
Merson and Sky at it again
Last night was our THIRD win of the season over Arsenal. The Gunners haven’t won a title for 22 years. We’re into the League Cup final and we showed everyone, once again, that Newcastle United is a special, special club to play for with limitless potential when it all clicks.
With that in mind, it felt like a shameless move from Sky to drag Isak’s future into the mix the morning after our biggest win of the season – especially when you look at some of Merson’s comments.
“Where is he going to go? Where can he go?”. I get that his form will attract interest, and I’m not surprised Merson wants him given how poor Arsenal’s Kai Havertz looked last night, but it’s becoming a bit silly and disrespectful now.
Speaking on Sky Sports this morning, Merson said: “It will all come down to money. I don’t know the lad. But if that is what it more likely comes down to. If someone comes in and offers a lot of money, you know, it will be hard.
“So for me, I don’t know, at the moment they are in the final. If they play Tottenham, maybe. If they play Liverpool, it is going to be harder.
“But yeah, the lad is a special player. But on the way in, I was thinking. Where is he going to go? Where can he go?
He’s not going to go Man City. He’s not going to go Man Utd. You know, I don’t know if Man Utd have any money to buy anybody anyway. He’s not going to go Tottenham, he’s not going to go Villa.
“I think he can only go to Arsenal in the whole world really, unless it is Real Madrid, and they have got Mbappe anyway.
“For me, it’s only an Arsenal where he can go. Then it will be up to him, does he want to go and play for Arsenal and might win something. Or stay at Newcastle and might win something.
“So it will be an interesting one but it will depend on the fair play rule as well. I don’t know what Newcastle have to do.”
Merson praises Newcastle
Merson did actually discuss the game, although not in the same depth, and admitted he is hoping to see us go all the way now, whether it is Spurs or Liverpool in the final.
However, he does feel it would’ve been a very different game had Martin Odegaard hit the other side of the most moments before Murphy made it 1-0:
Merson said: “You’re talking about two legs here, this is not a one-off game where Newcastle can get lucky, or someone gets sent off or there’s a big mistake. This was over two legs and they destroyed Arsenal, really.
“Fair play to Newcastle. I know they go on to win it 4-0, if Odegaard scores with his right foot it’s a different game, but that’s football. I think, unless you’re a Liverpool or Tottenham or Sunderland fan, who doesn’t want Newcastle to win this trophy? Because I’m sure, you know, I do.”
None of the Arsenal Players did themselves proud yesterday, but even so who would get into our team. Odegaard, Saliba, Saka ? Rice might make the bench. The idea that Arsenal are an elite club is a fading dream.
PremAndUp(Quote)
If that’s his options I feel ever more confident of him signing a new contract & sticking with NUFC then
Sharpy17(Quote)
Merson is like one of those toys that when you pull the string, and after a few drinks it repeats “Isak to Arsenal”“Isak to Arsenal” “Isak to Arsenal” hopefully like most toys it will break and end up in the bin.
Joseph(Quote)
So the game would have been different if Odegard had put the ball 5 inches to the left? Where as, would the game have been different if Izak had been an atoms width further back to that apparent offside decision. What a moron.
Pete(Quote)