‘not In My Hands’: Diplomatic Howe Has Lost Control Of Isak’s Newcastle Future

As a subordinate astatine Bournemouth and Portsmouth Eddie Howe could invariably beryllium recovered reference nan overseas news pages of nan past broadsheets while travelling to matches connected nan squad bus.

More than 2 decades on, nan Newcastle manager’s expertise to conception cautiously worded, supremely diplomatic, sentences loaded pinch cleverly calibrated between-the-lines subtext make it easy to ideate him arsenic immoderate benignant of world envoy.

In an replacement life Howe could, perhaps, person presently been shuttling betwixt Cairo, Doha, Jerusalem and Washington DC conducting delicate Middle East bid talks. Friday mightiness person had him connected guidelines by to alert to Anchorage aliases Kyiv for a domiciled successful Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations.

This skillset dictates that fewer Premier League counterparts tin beryllium amended equipped to face a problem specified arsenic Alexander Isak. Yet, down a resolutely brave face, moreover Newcastle’s head acknowledges, albeit tacitly, that he has mislaid power of nan situation.

The Sweden striker is truthful keen to unit done a move to Liverpool that he has successful effect gone connected strike. After resisting overtures to beryllium reintegrated pinch Howe’s squad, Isak continues to train unsocial and, it is understood, will soon beryllium fined nan maximum permissible 2 weeks’ wages for making himself unavailable for Saturday’s play opener astatine Aston Villa.

“I’ve said galore times I want Alex to train and play,” said Howe arsenic he faced nan media connected Friday. “I’ve had those conversations pinch him.” Pressed connected whether Isak could rejoin nan squad earlier nan extremity of this month, he shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “Alex will power that.”

So really did it comes to this? Isak, disgruntled astatine not receiving nan salary emergence he believed he had been promised during nan summertime of 2024, near plentifulness of clues astir his mindset past season. In an insightful BBC question and reply pinch Alan Shearer past wintertime and a group media quality earlier nan Carabao Cup last nan 25-year-old was noncommittal, to opportunity nan least, astir his future.

It would beryllium inconceivable to deliberation a head arsenic emotionally tuned-in arsenic Howe would not person second-guessed his starring scorer’s disillusion. In possibly nan astir revealing infinitesimal of Friday’s property convention he was asked whether, erstwhile Newcastle sealed Champions League qualification successful May, he was assured of Isak fulfilling nan 3 remaining years connected his contract.

“I was not reasoning of immoderate individual successful that moment, truthful I can’t really springiness an reply connected that,” he said, carefully. Then came a query arsenic to why Newcastle had acted arsenic if unsighted to Isak’s unhappiness and imaginable for disruptive behaviour successful June. Had they placed nan striker connected nan marketplace then, an auction would surely person unfolded. At that clip location would besides person been much replacement attacking options for nan committee to pursue. “I understand why you mightiness deliberation that,” said Howe. “But nary business is ever arsenic elemental arsenic it seems connected nan outside.”

Eddie Howe speaks to nan media earlier Newcastle’s opening game. Photograph: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United/Getty Images

It alternatively begs nan mobility arsenic to whether he had embraced reality while Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian owners remained successful denial and believed they could support Isak for astatine slightest different year. Technically they can, of course, but unhappy players do not make for harmonious, fto unsocial winning, teams.

Howe said of Isak’s behaviour in, among different things, skipping nan pre-season circuit of Singapore and South Korea: “I don’t deliberation it has been patient for us. I don’t contradict that’s been a large challenge. Alex, for me, is 1 of nan champion strikers successful nan world, if not nan best. To miss him from your squad leaves a immense gap.

“Morale was surely affected early connected during pre-season. It was a difficult play for us. There was thing I could do to impact that. When you person a subordinate that bully who is not portion of your group it’s difficult for nan different players to afloat understand it and to cognize really to react.

“But there’s been an acceptance that we person to make nan champion of nan situation; nan ambiance wrong nan group has been very bully successful nan past mates of weeks. I can’t look you successful nan oculus and opportunity it’s brought america person together but, sometimes, these things tin unify you successful a measurement you didn’t cognize possible.”

For each Isak’s uniquely rich | attacking talent nan roadworthy to reintegration is perilous. “I don’t deliberation you tin execute thing pinch a squad that’s not wholly agreed and keen to correspond nan club,” said Howe, pointedly. “In bid for immoderate subordinate to play good you person to beryllium successful that intelligence spot wherever you want to play. The league’s truthful difficult that, if you’re not there, nan games tin go very difficult, very quickly.”

The problem is that unless Liverpool make an connection location nearer Newcastle’s £150m valuation of Isak than nan £110m they person had rejected, nan Saudis are improbable to punishment a sale.

Moreover, Liverpool are not expected to bid again until Newcastle motion astatine slightest 1 replacement. A woody for Brentford’s Congolese striker Yoane Wissa is adjacent but, for nan moment, Howe is without a master striker. He will section a winger, Anthony Gordon, retired of position astatine centre-forward against Villa.

“Alex’s situation’s not successful my hands,” he said earlier turning typically diplomatic. “But I’ll spell pinch immoderate manus I’m dealt.”