There really are no winners in the aftermath of Alexander Isak’s acrimonious transfer saga.
The player has endured a personal nightmare at Liverpool. An inauspicious start preceded a long injury lay-off, just as he had started to find his goalscoring touch.
Isak should have left St James’ Park a hero, having fired Newcastle to their first trophy in 70 years only a few months before. Instead, the Swede is not welcome north of Scotch Corner.
In hindsight, Liverpool did not even need to sign him. They overloaded their strikeforce with too many big-money signings, causing Arne Slot to make his early season line-ups too top heavy, to title-defence-ending consequences.
It is Newcastle, however, who are suffering most. Replacing a player so instrumental to everything they achieved under Eddie Howe was near impossible. Add that to their chaotic structure behind the scenes, something only recently rectified, and the talent identification process in place was not of sufficient calibre to use the money from Isak’s sale wisely.
Creating four big chances at the Etihad in a semi-final second leg, with the tie already almost out of reach before a ball was kicked, is no mean feat. Missing all of them is an even greater accomplishment. The fact, in a 3-1 victory, that goalkeeper James Trafford was one of Manchester City’s standout players, shows just how close Newcastle were to at least making Pep Guardiola worry he might be deprived of a 22nd Wembley appearance.
“Whenever you come here, creating chances is difficult but I felt we were very much in the game,” Howe said. “Joe Willock has a big opportunity to equalise and that was the story of the first half. “We still believe we are a good team. We just need to protect confidence levels at all costs.”
The difference between the good and the great at Newcastle was Isak. A strike pairing of Anthony Gordon and Nick Woltemade just does not work at the elite level.
Woltemade has the nice touches, while Gordon possesses the ability to run in behind, but all too often in the first half they were operating in opposite roles to their individual qualities – only they will know why.
Woltemade is the perfect example of how a team of Newcastle’s size will always struggle to replace a player like Isak. Their top targets this summer were Hugo Ekitike – who Jamie Carragher already believes is better than Fernandes Torres at Liverpool and Wayne Rooney has likened to Romario – Bryan Mbeumo, already one of Manchester United’s best signings in a decade, Joao Pedro and Benjamin Sesko.
Newcastle were very much in the running for all four. But when Liverpool, Manchester United or Chelsea enter the picture, there is only going to be one winner.
Without a functional transfer hierarchy, the only option then is to overpay for proven Premier League players from lower-ranking clubs, or take a gamble from overseas where, no matter how many Wyscout clips you watch, the only way you will really know how successful they will be is to splash the cash and cross your fingers.
Woltemade started well, scored some sublime goals, but he isn’t going to get anything close to the numbers Isak produced, which is ultimately what he was signed for.
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Anthony Elanga is another case in point. A good player, with talent to make a difference on occasion, but £55m should get you more than one goal all season thus far.
Newcastle’s side is littered with signings yet to really make an impact. There is time to turn things around, however, especially in this season where none of the usual elite, Arsenal aside, have hit top gear.
Yoane Wissa is the latest big outlay to regain full fitness, Howe’s last stand. Howe may not be under pressure yet, but would a bottom-half finish be tolerated at a club whose chief executive recently revealed the plan is to make Newcastle one of the biggest clubs in the world by 2030?
Isak’s signing could bring about the end of two managers at two separate clubs. Quite some going.
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