Newcastle United’s summer saga with Alexander Isak has taken a twist of poetic justice, as the Swedish striker grapples with a rocky start at Liverpool, sidelined by injuries and a team setup that doesn’t suit his style. Chris Sutton’s blunt “you reap what you sow” verdict captures the sentiment, while Newcastle’s full-back woes, with Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall out, spotlight Emil Krafth’s potential January exit to Copenhagen. As Liverpool stumbles with six losses in seven games, this article dissects Isak’s adaptation struggles, Sutton’s sharp analysis, Liverpool’s tactical mismatch, and Krafth’s crossroads, highlighting a transfer ripple effect that underscores Newcastle’s resilience.
Isak’s Rocky Road: Pre-Season Boycott Bites Back
Alexander Isak’s £130 million move to Liverpool in August 2025 was meant to be a dream fit, but his summer antics have haunted his early days on Merseyside. A lot of punters in the know took advantage of a Crusino Casino no deposit bonus at the start of the season as the forward was 5/1 odds on to have a slow start. The striker, who skipped Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia and boycotted friendlies to force the transfer, arrived short of fitness, missing training and disrupting his rhythm. This absence has contributed to Liverpool’s forward line woes, with Isak sidelined by a groin injury during a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace on October 29, 2025. The Reds, who have lost six of seven games across competitions, desperately need Isak’s scoring prowess, but his lack of sharpness has left them blunt in attack.
Isak’s decision to hold out for the Anfield switch, amid Newcastle’s reluctance to sell their top scorer from 2024/25, has backfired. Sweden’s 2026 World Cup hopes, reliant on his Nations League form, have suffered too, with Isak’s absence contributing to a 1-0 loss to Austria. Liverpool’s new manager Arne Slot, inheriting a squad expecting to dominate, has seen Isak’s integration stall, with the Swede missing three starts. Fans on social media quip, “Karma’s a striker,” echoing the fallout from his boycott, which saw Newcastle’s squad disrupted and fans divided.
Sutton’s Sting: “You Reap What You Sowed”
Former Blackburn and Celtic forward Chris Sutton nailed the narrative in a BBC Sport interview on October 30, 2025, delivering a “you reap what you sow” assessment of Isak’s plight. Sutton, known for his no-nonsense analysis, pointed to the striker’s pre-season absence as the root cause: “Isak has been short of full fitness and especially sharpness all season anyway and he did not help himself there by missing training with Newcastle, in order to try to force his move to Anfield through.” He added, “He got what he wanted… but now he is trying to play catch-up instead of hitting the ground running, and that is when you can pick up injuries.”
Sutton acknowledged Isak’s talent: “Alexander Isak is too good a player not to eventually start scoring goals, but this whole situation has affected Liverpool as a team too, because his lack of fitness is one of the reasons they have not clicked in the final third yet.” The pundit’s comments resonate amid Liverpool’s slump, with six defeats in seven, including the Palace cup exit. Sutton’s take, shared amid a 2025/26 season where Liverpool sit 12th after nine games, underscores the transfer’s irony—Isak’s push for a dream move has left him on the sidelines, echoing Newcastle fans’ warnings of his injury proneness and slow starts.
Liverpool’s Forward Fumble: A System Mismatch
On paper, Isak seemed tailor-made for Liverpool: the league’s top scorer from last season would amplify an attack already lethal with Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz. Yet, Slot’s system diverges from Eddie Howe’s at Newcastle, where Isak was the focal point, fed by selfless wingers like Jacob Murphy. At Anfield, Liverpool’s wingers—Salah, Díaz, and Cody Gakpo—prefer cutting inside for goals, leaving Isak isolated and starved of service. Sutton noted, “A private market is probably right where he says that Isak will eventually turn his form around and become a prolific player for Liverpool. But it does feel like a lot more people should have heeded Newcastle fans’ warning that injuries, slow starts, and a lack of involvement if he’s not scoring were all to be expected.”
Isak’s groin injury, keeping him out since October 19 against Manchester City, has compounded the issue. Liverpool’s final third has misfired, with just eight goals in nine games, their worst start since 2018/19. Slot’s high press, emphasizing quick transitions, clashes with Isak’s hold-up play, leaving him underserved. Social media reflects frustration, with one fan tweeting, “Isak’s a Ferrari in a traffic jam—Newcastle knew how to rev him.” The Swede’s absence, alongside Darwin Núñez’s disciplinary woes, has left Liverpool’s attack toothless, contrasting their 2024/25 title charge.
Krafth’s Crossroads: Scandinavian Summer Beckons
Newcastle’s full-back crisis, with Livramento and Hall sidelined, has spotlighted Emil Krafth’s limited role. The 31-year-old Swede, with just 61 minutes this season against Bradford, is out of contract in June 2026. Danish outlet Bold reports Copenhagen’s interest in a January move, as right-back Rodrigo Huescas faces a knee injury sidelining him for the remainder of 2025/26. Copenhagen, in the Champions League group stage, offers Krafth regular football and a World Cup shot with Sweden, who cling to Nations League hopes.
Krafth, signed from Toulouse in 2019 for £8 million, has been a reliable squad player, with 100 appearances and a 2024/25 Europa Conference League campaign. His versatility—right-back and center-back—shields Newcastle’s injury-hit defense, but at 31, game time is key. The club’s options—Kieran Trippier (35), Valentino Livramento (out until December), and Lewis Hall (hamstring, back November)—make Krafth’s loan appealing. A cut-price deal could recoup funds for a full-back addition, as Newcastle eyes signings to comply with PSR, with Trippier and Targett’s contracts expiring and Dan Burn unsuited to left-back after adding bulk.
