When we brought in Alexander Isak, we didn’t actually buy the best striker in Europe

No person at Newcastle United is larger than the club. That’s what they keep telling us.

A few years ago I interviewed and I was lucky to get a much better position within the company that I was already working for.

I would no longer do work in Shift and, because it was abroad, it came with a pretty significant walk in tax-free salary, and a relocation of a company offered two bedroom apartment of the “no cat of the architecture” a cat “could go to a nice spacious villa, with only six steps to traverse daily, instead of the previous 18-floor journey in what often one-floor-floor was in what often one floor.

We had the mandatory farewell, where Chas, who was when my ex-Boss was, was asked: “So what are you going to do for a delegate now that Jordi will not be there to do all your work for you?”

Without missing a beat, Chas replied: “I trained one monkey, I will just train another.”

Believe me when I say that this is not just delayed ventilation. This will be relevant later on the page.

When Alexander Isak arrived from Real Sociedad for a record tone, my immediate response was: “Who?”, Followed closely by “how much?”

If I am completely honest, it was almost the standard reaction that was acquired by the most incoming transfers from Howe, with the possible exception of Trippier.

I really heard from him!

You see, I am a painted fan of the woolen tone and have been for decades, but I am not a fan of the European scene, so when players came in from clubs such as Lille, Lyon, Real Sociedad and AC Milan, “Who?” Was almost the standard reaction.

And it didn’t help when the Real was not Madrid and the Milan was not inter!

During the first nine months of Eddie I gave myself the feeling of a child who had just had a Christmas gift that he was not so impressed with.

Would I like it, or would it just be a cheap Kous filler?

It turns out that Eddie Howe knew what he was doing.

When we brought in Alexander Isak, we didn’t actually buy the best striker in Europe.

What we bought was a decent striker with potential.

And I think we all have to admit that we all thought we had paid too much.

We bought the ingredients, after which Eddie and his back room team had to turn ingredients into a cake.

Okay, albeit, with the help of 20/20 afterwards it seems that this specific cake might only have been half baked, but it was still a tasty cake!

Let’s not take anything away from Isak here, well, at least from a technical perspective.

It is not as if he did not contribute.

You can not only turn a player into one of the best in Europe. The basic principles must be there to start with.

So let’s go back to my little memory of a few centimeters back on the page.

Although I would certainly not compare myself with Isak, although we have similar ears the mission of Eddie are now the same as then, and the same as that of my less than generous ex-Boss Chas, in that he and his team now have to use their talents to “just train another!”

If you look back on that “first” – Isak – before you came to Real Sociedad, his goals scoring record was less than impressive, and there was nothing to him that even hinted that he would become so productive – and valuable – as he did.

If we are honest, that is probably the reason why there was not much competition for him at the time, but that does not explain why we paid so much for him. The dreaded PIF tax possible?

Anyway, what did and co saw something.

I have to admit that I am confused by our recent efforts to recruit.

While Howe had previously brought in clearly talented players (which I had never heard of) with potential, and she formed to play his way, we suddenly seemed to swing in front of the fence in July.

Try to buy the completed item.

Maybe just a little too high?

What was the director for the change of business model?

Was it because we had to focus a little lower at the time, because few players saw the vision, or had the belief in Howe?

Back to Isak.

His goal in La Liga for the 21-22 season was “Played 32, scored six”-Hostage statistics that you would let on and break the bank to buy it, but as I said, Eddie and Co saw something.

Last season Nick Wolade achieved 17 goals in 33 performances for Stuttgart.

Statistically, it seems that the gigantic German, about the same age as the Swede, comes in like a better striker.

If I actually go with something, it may be shameful to suggest that, with the considerably better ingredients as a starting point, we may end up with a better cake, depending on what the baker can do with it.

It is possible that Woltemade is further in its development than Isak at that age, and the improvements that Howe and Co can realize may not have been led with that made with Isak, but as I see, there is nothing to worry about going further.

Eddie Howe has realized such enormous improvements in so many players, it is almost boring now that it is talking about it now!

Do you remember the bit in the beginning – nobody is bigger than the club?

Alexander Isak is gone and I am sure that we all believe that history will be true the above in his case.

It has been replaced and yes, the quality of that replacement has yet to be determined.

But he has been replaced.

Regarding throwing Yoane Wissa in the comparison, I do not in any way wish to affect the inheritance of Wilson’s time at the club, so let’s just accept that his replacement comes in with a considerably better fitness record.

With Isak and Wilson we usually played only one or the other in front, mainly because both rarely seemed to be fit at the same time. However, Woldemade and Wissa both seem to be much less susceptible to injuries, so our options regarding the actual playing of two strikers in advance seem to have improved strongly. Remark; Try not to beat wood with crossed fingers. It hurts.

Although we may have paid well about the opportunities for two strikers, we have at least those two strikers in it, and the owners of Newcastle United were not recorded to pay the money if it was absolutely necessary, what it was.

I am sure that we all had an uncomfortable last few days in the transfer window that try to try to get through what could be 60 plus games with just one senior striker.

The entire Alexander Isak Saga quickly became very tiring, not helped by the vague nature of his statement and tried to justify his attitude.

Try to look at it from a more neutral point of view, if a player signs a six -year contract, that should mean something, but the change in the performance of Isak seemed almost exponentially, and perhaps the club could have cut him off with a considerable wage increase much earlier.

All comments about promises that are made? I think that was about salary and no movement. The club missed the boat there.

I have heard the behavior of Isak compared to that of the club that Elliot Anderson closed to Forest with a number of years on his contract. But it’s great for the club to do that? Just say.

Reviewing the six -year contract ding – two of those contracts and the career of a player are effectively over. If you are going to maximize your profit potential, you must move between clubs long before that unpleasant uncomfortable contract ends.

Liverpool can certainly see the irony to give him a contract that is as long as the one he was so fast to just threaten with us?

If they have some feeling that his new club has written a number of pretty brutal clauses in the new contract.