Alexander Isak: The legend that's let us down

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.