Nah we have adequately replaced him with Chiesa
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It’s definitely something to watch. Frimpong has had a great injury record until coming here. Bradley has had well documented problems, but the hope was they were growth related and his fitness record would improve.
I haven’t given up on them as long term solutions, but it is something to watch especially as at the moment we can’t get either one on the pitch, and have to use a midfielder or an injury prone defender in Gomez. (Ramsey could be a third choice but I don’t think he is eligible for the CL).
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I agree that in form Ekitike should start over Isak and with hindsight starting it the other way around against Forest was a mistake.
Presumably Slot thought Isak was very close, and to take the final step to match fitness he would need to do it on the pitch, and play his way in as it were. Slot probably had in mind a nice goal scoring hour’s work for Isak, then a hungry Ekitike coming in to prove a point, with the result of having a win on the board and two sharper strikers moving forward.
Instead, Isak laid an egg and was peripheral, hence all the calls that it was a mistake and Ekitike should have started. I agree with that, but I can see what Slot was trying to do with that one, even if it didn’t work.
I dont think there is much to worry about with Frimpong. It’s just an unfortunate situation that when he was feeling the pace of his first game with Bradley and Gomez both unavailable we asked him to try to push it further than we otherwise would have and he has been suffering the consequences ever since. The biggest issue is with the recurring fitness issues of the other two he may be forced back into action and for longer than he’d otherwise want.
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I was excited to sign Isak. He has proven in the Prem that he is a smashing player, and a clear upgrade on Nunez, even if, for various reasons, he hasn’t shown it at Liverpool yet.
The wrangling over the transfer was a messy business and I didn’t like it, but from Isak’s perspective Newcastle reneged on a contract agreement, then blocked his transfer to Liverpool, while also turning the pressure up to the max with officials round at his house. He withstood the enormous pressure and was consistent and resolute in telling them he wanted out, which in its own way, for me, shows real strength.
His training alone was unseemly - partly his own choice and partly the choice of Howe. Eddie Howe started out more magnanimously, in the hope that Isak would stay, but once it became apparent even to Howe that Isak wanted to leave, Howe went on the record saying he only wanted players to train with the group who wanted to be there.
I am delighted Isak is here and now it’s up to Slot to get him up to speed and find a way to integrate him into the side, along with the other attacking talent we have brought in.
That was the worst possible game to give him a PL start in. Both for him personally and for the team.
He was clearly lacking legs and fitness. Chiesa should have started that one.
He even came on and equalised.
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He might still be feeling the effects of missing out on that Barbecue. It did look brilliant - Howe had got in four different kinds of sauce and Tindall’s chicken kebabs are tasty.
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I have had similar thoughts. Ekitike’s red card may have been a sliding doors moment…
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Andy Carroll and isak…we really should stop buying newcastle strikers…cant think of anyone good who signed from there since beardsley
Hopefully Isak kicks on and has a good career at Liverpool. I’m backing him to do that. Still, I hear you, he hasn’t really got going yet.
As for Carroll, I remember reading an article a little while ago about him, playing on a per game sort of basis for relative pennies, way down the footballing food chain. It made me warm to him a bit. He was a bad signing for us, and he also liked a drink which somewhat derailed his career.
Since Beardsley: Hamann, Carroll, Wijnaldum, Enrique, Isak.
We can say 3 and a half good signings as we speak.
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I really wanted us to go big on Alvarez over Isak. Not sure if Atletico would’ve budged, but he just has everything we actually want, including the off-the-ball work we’ve become accustomed to over the years.
Some interesting points in the last day or so about the make-up of our squad. It does feel like we need some ‘needle’ type players, those who will get stuck in, harass the opposition, and bully them.
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Did he leave City cos he didn’t like the weather in the North West?
There could be an “Alvarez” situation here with us in the near future.
But that would mean that we have one who is doing brilliantly (Haaland) and another one, very good one, who is happy until a certain point as backup (Alvarez) and then all parties decide it’s best to change. I’d be happy with that. But first need to get there.
As for Ekitike and Isak up top together long term, I’ll believe it when it starts happening and if it proves to be the right formula.
How that corelates with nearby positions (Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz), that’s all very interesting questions for the decision makers of this club.
Sometimes they say, sweet problems. I think this summer we likely ended up with too much sugar for everyone’s good.
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I think it was just rumours, but the primary reason was playing time.
I agree we may see a Haaland/Alvarez situation in the future with Isak/Ekitike.
I think we’d probably receive a substantial fee in return, similar to City with Alvarez and Atletico.
I’ve no issue with the decision made to do that (two strikers) in light of the Jota tragedy. I wasn’t keen on the amount of money we forked out on Isak though, but no issue with the quality of forward we were targeting. I would’ve much preferred Alvarez though, a multifunctional forward who could’ve covered several positions. Maybe we see it as a win/win. If Isak/Ekitike can play together, or rotate and get plenty of games, and are happy with that, we have two quality forwards. If one of them wants to leave, we’re likely to receive a hefty fee in return, and we can reevaluate.
Definitely think there’s some merit to your ‘we likely ended up with too much sugar for everyone’s good’ analogy.
one day…
in true Scooby Doo style,
Isak will pull off a face mask and reveal himself to be Andy Carrol!
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If it’s true, that AS actually said playing Isak in the Forest game, was because he is almost fully there re fitness… well, judging on his piss poor ‘ghost’ performance, if he is almost there… we really have signed a shit player then..!
The guy is miles off being ready to terrorise any defence…!
If sports science team say he needs game time, actual game time, well, in recent matches, Gakpo has offered zilch, nothing whatsoever, so why not shove Isak out on the left - a) he gets his match minutes b) Gakpo won’t be missed c) It allows our best goalscorer Hugo a chance to play in his best position, and maybe, just maybe, contribute in an area where Isak is failing.
The only thing is… if it ends up being Isak (as the “Alvarez”), there’s his age factor. His contract at Liverpool until the age of 31 is the place where he decided to spend what should be his peak years. He’s not old, but both Haaland and Alvarez had a lot of time ahead of them. We’ll have to hope both Ekitike and Isak don’t have any big injuries, but that’s just a default wish like always.
I believe Isak was always our first choice, but as that dragged on (with a real possibility of not even happening) and the Jota tragedy happened, we probably thought we need to bring someone in of quality regardless of Isak.
I don’t know what the market and options were like at the time, but obviously we judged we can and want to go big for two rather than see if there’s someone cheap, but then the quality might not be right. Like a Jonathan David on a free, just to throw out an example off the top of my head.
I think Alvarez after one season at Atletico was always going to be very hard to get him out from. Plus, I got the feeling that Slot really wanted a proper #9 (which Isak is, when he’s fit and firing). Whereas Alvarez really is one of the best forwards in the world, but he’s probably best as a second striker or a main striker supported by another similar one.
I also said that on paper, most people would agree that Isak and Ekitike is better than Torres and N’Gog (it’s not as direct as that as someone like Kuyt could backup Torres). Of course, it’s not one or the other, there can be solutions in between. But what we have now leaves a lot of questions, especially if it was done in the same window.
I’m of the opinion that prices don’t (or shouldn’t) dictate who usually starts, but there’s more than one question or stumbling blocks from allowing you to field £204m worth of strikers on the pitch together most of the time. That’s no joke. Especially coupled with other moves we made, keeping Salah, buying Wirtz, then the right midfield balance behind…
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