It’s fair to say that this summer hasn’t gone as most Newcastle fans envisaged.
Bouncing into the summer after the highs of a season the vast majority of us have only ever dreamed about, this summer was supposed to be the one where we kicked on.
While the Champions League qualification of two seasons ago felt like a huge overachievement, this time it felt like we may have genuinely arrived at footballs top table. A belief shared by all that a few key signings in key positions could actually see us cement that place at said top table, and really start to grow with the regular revenue on the menu. It’s been a disaster thus far, for many reasons.
While the ongoing grumbles about the unfairness of PSR are justified, the club’s decision to enter such an important window without a DOF, or long term CEO is even more damaging, and feels like a genuine act of self harm at a crucial time.
It was all going badly enough until Thursday’s bombshell, when our star striker (allegedly) refused to go to Singapore, amid rumours of…….well, you know the rest. If for any reason you don’t, Fabrizo Romano has currently no less than 70 tweets on the same topic without any real updates.
The simple fact is that we knew we’d lose a player we love at some point, even the world’s biggest clubs do.
The simple fact is Alexander Isak is currently one of the world’s best strikers, and he is currently a better player than Newcastle are a club.
Liverpool are an elite club, capable of winning league titles, the champions league, and paying him double what we currently can. So everything about this potential move makes sense.
What is also a simple fact is that his world class status as a player doesn’t justify his current behaviour, which is an absolute disgrace.
When Eddie Howe has seemingly put so much stock in building a squad with a clear “no d**kheads” rule, it’s almost tragically poetic than a player who has become a genuine hero is (allegedly) acting like a massive one right now.
If you think I sound bitter, I am.
Not at him wanting to leave Newcastle, play for Liverpool, earn more money, or even just wanting a change of scenery. It’s the blatant lack of respect and decency he’s showing to the club that he is currently employed by. One that took a risk on him, where the fans worship him, and the players and manager have helped shape him into the player he is.
When we signed Isak, we did so “in the dip” as the kids like to say. After a good start to his career in Spain and dazzling in the Euro’s, he hadn’t had the best season at Real Sociedad, scoring just 6 league goals. This, possibly combined with him struggling to live up to his “wonderkid” reputation at Dortmund had seen bigger clubs hesitant to sign him, despite his obvious qualities.
Newcastle did. Eddie Howe did, and he should do well to remember that.
Newcastle and Howe gave him the platform to play in the Premier League, on a huge contract. Even if he has outgrown it, he should honour it with the same respect we’ve shown him until a sale is concluded.
By all means, inform the club you want to go, maybe even hand in an official transfer request, but despite what the red-centric media are preaching, Newcastle fans and the club have every right to expect him to be professional, train and not effectively go on strike. It is is not an unreasonable request.
The whole thing has effectively been a tapping up by media, and the same outlets and accounts that were up arms about Trent Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid’s conduct are now creating a narrative that Isak is being held hostage.
Before I’m accused of double standards, I’m not impressed at all with the way Yoane Wissa is going about trying to engineer his Brentford exit. It’s a huge red flag in a players character, and indeed thinking about players who did similar to seal a move to Newcastle, Moussa Sissoko and Hatem Ben Arfa were equally as troublesome at the end of their spells on Tyneside.
Anthony Gordon? Well he was chased down the road and had his car kicked, right..? (Removes black and white glasses).
So an unsavoury saga really needs to end either way. The money would come in handy, unhappy player, only want players who want to be here etc, that is all true. But the club have every right to dig their heels in and make Isak stay
One thing is certain. Newcastle United will be just fine.
HTL.
Good post that and on point too 👍 Isak, if all this is true, is being properly ungrateful as like you say Newcastle and Eddie took a chance on him and made him one of the worlds best strikers. All this may explain his lacklustre end to the season. I would love for us to sign Benjamin Šeško as he in my opinion can be better than Alex. And under Wor Eddie and the Coaches I think he could be the best striker in the world at some point
Wez(Quote)
I think you’ve nailed it in this post 👏🏼👏🏼.
I’ve supported NUFC since the mid 80s – pre Keegan era.
I’ve seen some superb centre forwards during that time – Isak is excellent but doesn’t make my top 3. He had the potential to but he leaves and he’s just another another one for the list.
Sharpy17(Quote)
If all that’s being reported is true.. which I’m sure it’s not, then he has a right to feel aggrieved.
He was promised a new contract and pay rise and an ambitious team. We’ve weakened the squad and apparently done a u-turn on a new contract.
Further, the team trying to buy him have signalled their intent to strengthen big time. They’re arguably the biggest club in the England and possible title and European challengers next season.
We’re nowhere near that right now.
Complete no brainer for Isak really when we take our black and white tinted glasses off.
He can leave if we get a big fee. I’ll be happy enough. He scored the winner in a cup final for us so as far as I’m concerned, he’s done his job.
Hazz(Quote)
Hazz – you take your black & white tinted glass off and you’re a Talksport pundit 🤷🏼♂️.
We are fans of NUFC first, and as such I can’t see passed Isak disrespecting our club.
Your point lacks a little detail. He’s been offered a new deal – but it’s not enough for him. He wants more than we can afford to pay.
I have no doubt we would be willing to make him our highest paid player but if it’s not in line with the highest paid players in the league then it will not be enough.
£120k a pw was enough 2 years ago when he signed us – when at the same time Liverpool were picking Darwin Nunez ahead of him.
I have no issue with Isak wanting to go to a club that will win trophies – I get that. I was there when Andy Cole did it and we survived that.
I just don’t like how Isak has went about this.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Isak is bigger than NUFC, you article has shown that. And stop this ‘we gave him this platform to play here…’ nonsense, if anything Isak would’ve signed for a bigger team anyway when he was at Real Sociedad. You really think that he would’ve stayed there, while players like Rasmus Hojlund got signed by Man Utd after a season of plsying football in Serie A? Don’t be so naive.
Isak could’ve signed for Liverpool before, but Jürgen Klopp already gave permission to the club to sign Nunez (and boy was he wrong). Isak was done dirty by the NUFC owners, Paul Mitchell hasn’t shown respect to him. He’s far more important to the team than Bruno G. is (who has even been surpassed in the ranks by Tonali the gambler), but they were very quick to offer him a new contract and Isak got hooked off. So let’s not act as if the people in the office are showing any ambition to him, some fans actually even understand Isak and would laugh at this scapegoating article on Isak.
Now all of a sudden people want to describe Isak as some League One player because they’re bitter.. but what about you show your bitterness towards the so called ‘richest owners’ in the world. Isak has delivered at Newcastle Utd, and don’t you dare boo him when he comes back at SJP, because it will justify him scoring goals and celebrating in front of the NUFC fans.
Isak is one of the best NUFC players ever, whether you like it or not. Arguably the best ever, the stats don’t lie and football nowadays is at a higher level than it was back then. The player who you think of that are better than Isak probably never catched the eyes of the big teams like Isak did.
When Gordon was about to leave Newcastle in the summer of 2024, you guys didn’t attack him like you guys are attacking Isak. So it’s Isak’s fault as well for Newcastle not buying new players? Elanga is a United flop, no one was in for him because everyone knows that he’s average and doesn’t have the qualities to elevate an average team into CL football like Isak did. Be real, NUFC has almost no pull and the wage structure for players is very bad. You can’t expect to get/keep world class players when the wage structure isn’t good enough. Isak got NUFC a trophy after more than 50 years and CL football for the second time in three seasons. That’s the difference between a world class player (Isak) and a bully who is called a ‘hero’ for accepting the fact that he can’t develop into a world class player that was fighting for relegation football for years (Joelinton).
Greetings,
A realistic fan.
Lee(Quote)
I’m not overly happy about the situation myself but it seems the club disrespected him. Not the other way around.
If you promise a contract; u-turn on the promise and then offer one after he requests to leave then that’s on us.
If we’d offered it a year ago when expected he wouldn’t be asking for the supposed 300k. He had a good season, lots of media hype and then asked for the big bucks. We handled the situation poorly and this is the end result.
I’d snap anyone’s hand off for anything over £140m. It would be a blessing in disguise.
Hazz(Quote)
Good article, nobody is bigger than the club and that goes for isak and any other player who plays for us, we did take a big risk in signing him, untried in the premier league, did a good job for us but his attitude stinks, i dont like that eddie and our club are covering for him by saying he has a slight thigh injury, he should be thrown under the bus and treated with the same lack of respect he is giving us at the moment. I cant see any way back for him now. You would of thought wor flags with isaks picture on and the fans singing his name every week, would mean something to him, obviously doesnt care hes just a greedy money hungry footballer, who has no place at our club any longer. We will replace with players who genuinely want to play for the shirt. ISAK OUT
Callum(Quote)
Its simple ask isak to give a straight yes or no if he wants out sell him now get someone in before villa if not we will struggle we have no back up.he is a top player but nowhere near the best we have ever had. I hope he stays but not with half aheart
John shotton(Quote)
What a load of .. isak is not bigger than the club he is a centre forward who has been nurtured and done well .. scored some goals ..only 4 more than wissa in the prem league and not even top scorer whilst previously hit the heights at soviet as with 6 … good to get £150 million and liverpool saddled with £300k a week . That’s about £220 million over 5 years on one player !!… your clearly not a Newcastle fan just an clown ..Newcastle currently have Italy’s midfield supremo and two of brazils midfield .4 English capped internationals .. you don’t know what your talking about 🙈🤡
Mike(Quote)
I don’t see how Elanga is a united flop? He hasn’t started a competitive game for us yet. And by all accounts looks decent in pre-season.
Although you maybe he left Man United when he was younger? He’s improved a fair bit since then, and easily a better player than Antony and I would argue better than Rashford now.
Johnny Mac(Quote)
When you said yourself that Howe has a no d!c&h@Ad$ rule you actually being a bit of a one yourself.
A professional football player has a playing career of 12 – 14 years at the top level. During that time he has to make as much money as possible to make sure he and his family are well looked after when he retires. So moves happen. Sometimes it’s for the club, sometimes it’s for the player.
He came to us from Real Sociedad. Where was your griping when he left them to come to us?
That’s the game.
If it’s true that Mandy, or whoever told him he would get an improved contract, and he didn’t, then I would say he’s well within his rights to want a move. If you can’t trust your management……
Get over it. We’ll make around 60 million profit on him, with the total sum received getting us the 3 decent players we need to fill out the squad.
The whole concept that a player should have loyalty to a team is a joke.
And be careful with your allegations about refusing to play pre-season.
You don’t know the “simple facts”.
Jordi Plato(Quote)
The crux of the matter is the our management has let the players and the club down and the other teams in the premiership have nailed us to the floor.
Management have given the players false hope in terms of ambition and promises if not now then initially.
Our recruitment of top Directors etc has been abysmal.
Joseph(Quote)
world class player thats a joke ifit wasnt for jacob murphy providing him with the brilliant crosses he would be nowhere plucked him out of obscurity and howe did a brilliant job on him he has no loyalty at all if it wasnt for the good players around him he would be average at best let the traitor go and at least get something for him hehas been less than average for months now good riddance i say
jennifer nicholls(Quote)
Isak good player, our best ever ? no not by a long shot. Thanks for the cup goal, now off you pop lad.
kimtoon(Quote)
Totally agree , Murphy has played a massive part in his rise as has Eddie and the rest of the team. I hope for his sake he lives up to the hype .
kimtoon(Quote)
I wish he would stay like a lot of others but now i think its gone too far to retreive the situation. Pity as like most fans i was looking forward with hope for next season. I wish that they sign someone.of note.to hopefully make up some.way for the loss and not leave it too late to settle in.
Michael(Quote)
Should not be sold until we have two forwards signed, once transfer window closes he will have to play. Paul Mitchell also has a lot to answer for
Derek(Quote)
The whole thing is farce from top too bottom as for the one who says isak is bigger than the club then signing post realistic fan……REALLY more like a scouse or makem troll nobody is bigger not even Eddie we gave him the chance too play in Premier League but also knew how good he was and knew this day may come get him out the door ASAP and get someone new in
Jonboy72(Quote)
I hope he breaks a leg so badly it ruins his career since he was given the chance by Newcastle to grow now he just ***** on The north east Newcastle and Newcastle fans who treat him like a God he in my mind is a ungrateful **** who would have gotten his contract bettered by NUFC and is a liar saying he is going nowhere promising the fans he is going nowhere i honestly wish the worst for him in the future he is just another ungrateful Andy Cole
The Borg resistance is futile(Quote)
No player at whatever club is bigger than the club. At the end of the day players come players go that’s football but they should do it with respect and dignity if not for the club for the fans that idolised them
Bonnylad(Quote)
Apparently Isak is training at real sociadad waiting on his Pool move ! wtf
kimtoon(Quote)