It’s been reported that he did participate in the promotional photoshoot for their kit reveal and they elected to cut him out of it.
4 Likes
Was going to post something similar. Newcastle are playing a bit of a dangerous game here. No player on an elite pathway is seeing Newcastle as a forever club (that might change in the future).
They are already struggling to recruit the players they want - I think it’s fairly obvious that PSR is constraining them - that is going to get a lot harder if players and their agents get a sense that Newcastle are going to act like pricks with them and basically handcuff them to the club.
Liverpool definitely went through a ‘we won’t stand in your way if a big club come knocking’ phase. Yes, we made sure we got a good fee, but players could see that we wouldn’t take the piss and there was a way to Barca, Real etc. Still is, to some degree.
1 Like
Couldn’t agree more. If Newcastle put their foot down and keep him, it will be damaging for them. The player wants to go. We are happy to pay a record fee. This is a long way short of the sort of stuff Real Madrid does, to get players on a free. We are being fair about it all.
I’m sure it feels crap for the barcodes, but this is their current reality. They have to build it up over a few years to be better placed. They know the score as they can do this to most clubs. I doubt Forest were thrilled to watch Elanga depart, but they took the fee and it’s on them to do something useful with it.
Newcastle would probably feel patronized by the suggestion, but they should see this as their Coutinho moment. I hated that we lost him. He was such a joy to watch. But we bought Alisson and Van Dijk and kicked on as a club.
Their issue is they are not currently top tier. They are trying to get there, but they are a bit short. Coupled with that, the Saudis have been too uninvolved, so there are holes in their structure and executive staffing, to say nothing of the training facilities and stadium being untouched.
Players have a short career. Isak can’t wait around a few years to see if Newcastle get their act together and position themselves to win the Prem or the CL.
Get over it, Geordie nation! Let him go. Or if you prefer, keep the player against his wishes and damage yourselves in the process.
Over to you, horse punchers.
3 Likes
Didn’t Isak arrive for a big fee in itself ?
There’s also a 10 percent clause to Sociedad.
1 Like
Agree. Newcastle are playing hard ball and just wasting our time. Rather strengthen CB and LW (if Rio is not backup to Cody)
I don’t know what all of you are banging on about, but have you heard we might be in for Isak?
PHWOAR!!!
I haven’t been this excited since the Ribwich.
1 Like
Romano:
UPDATE: Alexander Isak decides to keep waiting for Liverpool, his only choice! Isak doesn’t return to team training this week, focused on Liverpool move despite links with Al Hilal… not true. Personal terms never gonna be an issue, as choice has been made weeks ago: Isak wants Liverpool as priority. Isak also aware of Liverpool prepared for record bid if Newcastle will open doors to sale, up to the Magpies.
2 Likes
anyone else bored with this? Give me a Fabinho type transfer any day over this.
Wirtz was fun as everyone thought it was Bayern or City but this is like toothache.
We havent even bid yet theres so much noise - lots of it recycled crap.
10 Likes
The only shit aspect about the deal for Fabinho was that it was reported we were chasing Lemar.
2 Likes
On Isak and NUFC, as others have said, surely they have to be taking a look at Nunez to placate things? They need a striker to replace Isak, we have one we’re looking to sell, who is only 3 months older, Premier League experience, and has played at the top level of European and international football.
Nunez, Elanga, and Gordon on paper has pace and workrate.
I think the Isak deal will ultimately get done. I can’t see him wanting to wait another year for a move, which may not manifest again, especially as clubs needing forwards have already made moves i.e. Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea.
1 Like
I’ve read the Nunez to Newcastle theory a few times in this thread lately and the pace aspect across that potential attack gets overrated in terms of importance. But I understand that most football fans warm to players that are pacy. Slow players (and there are some high quality ones that are simply not quick) are not that popular or it takes time for them to be understood and loved. But you know what is faster than any player? The pace at which the ball can be moved between players. And what about other things? Intelligence, combination play, link up, finishing (or a variety of), technical and tactical aspects? There’s more to football players than how fast they can sprint, how aggressive they run at people (doesn’t even mean a player is a quality presser if he just reacts to everything and smashes into everything that moves) or how strong they can be in duels.
I think an attack of Elanga, Gordon and Nunez would be very one dimensional. A lot of pressure to connect and create would fall onto Gordon and not to forget that one of the first late arrivals from midfield would be bloody Joelinton (and lately Tonali, since they switched the midfield roles of him and Guimaraes).
If Newcastle are breaking in that higher level company, want to establish themselves further and actually start fighting for trophies soon… I don’t see why would they think of Nunez and even touch him? We made a mistake, now it’s time for him to go elsewhere, probably to a lower level league and club. Others of a similar or lower level will probably learn that lesson and say “no thanks”.
I think the first club in that league table closest to us that might have good enough arguments to do it would be Forest. A team heavily based on counter attacks. But guess what, they have Chris Wood, a target man (albeit getting on a bit) who also banged in 20 (league) goals last season. Nunez can go to a more competitive team, but in a lesser league.
3 Likes
I agree with much of what you say. The problem for them is if Isak leaves. They’re in a tricky spot needing a replacement, and clubs will already suspect that if they’re targeting their forward, it probably means they’re going to receive mega money for Isak rather than adding another body alongside him.
There are other forwards out there for them to consider i.e. Aghehowa, Boniface, Vlahović, Muniz, Wissa (although that’s likely to be a replacement for Callum Wilson), even Nicolas Jackson, but then will their value increase to a point where they’re just like, ‘no thanks’, or would they bite the bullet and pay over the odds?
My thinking is that given Newcastle’s difficulty in signing a forward, and they know Isak wants to come to us, their attempts to sign someone have failed thus far. They’ve already missed out on Joao Pedro, Ekitike, likely Sesko as well. It’ll be interesting to see how they navigate, and who they eventually turn to. They may have to compromise on what they want in a forward versus what’s available on the market.
3 Likes
I don’t know enough about some of the mentioned players there, I’m also not convinced Wissa would be the right option for them as a single striker. Seems to me like a very lazy move if that turns out to be their only move.
Sesko is still possible, although some Newcastle “ITK” journalists now say that he’s more attracted by United. Even Sesko brings some question marks with him, but I think he’d be a better fit than Nunez. I’d say even Jackson would be a better fit.
I just think that someone like Nunez wouldn’t be such a great fit with what they already have around that single striker spot. There is enough of the pace and aggression aspects as it is (Gordon and Elanga being an upgrade of Murphy?), they need someone to compliment those strengths with some different skills.
They did toy with their structure and players changing positions last season, so there is also what Howe might change with what he has. Gordon wasn’t always a (pure) LW. He had games also as a single #10 and their structure (sometimes being in a back 4, sometimes being in a back 3) in the final against us was very, very clever. He used the league game at Anfield to hide his real intentions for the final. Plus, the set-piece aspect.
Whether they have the scouting and especially recruitment department up and runnning to a level where they can find someone below the radar (or not among the most popular names in media and among fans), this late or close to the start of the season, remains to be seen.
1 Like
Honestly, where do you guys find the time to invent and post these convoluted speculative musings. No-one knows anything at all. Why not just sit it out. Que sera sera.
14 Likes
Welcome to the forum Rambo, you may find some things on here puzzling at first, but you’ll soon get used to them.
5 Likes
We’re going to Wem-ber-rley?
I’m starting to go cold on this deal. We do need another attacker but Rodriygo (sic) at Madrid feels a better option and even he is probably not exactly what we need.
1 Like
I have always been cold on it. Price too high and injury prone. But not sure who else is out there as a backup 9.
1 Like
Or a first choice #9, if Ekitike is more the backup one?
2 Likes
He’s not really injury prone.
His biggest injury last season was a broken toe - not really something you can plan for or avoid.
The other injuries look to be over use injuries, but having already signed Ekitike, getting Isak means there is a back up so we can rotate meaning it reduces the risk of injury occuring from being over played.
5 Likes