{"id":381236,"date":"2025-08-29T00:01:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T00:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/381236\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T00:01:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T00:01:16","slug":"ive-watched-newcastle-united-for-70-years-and-never-been-so-furious-with-one-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/381236\/","title":{"rendered":"I’ve watched Newcastle United for 70 years and never been so furious with one player"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eddie Howe has plenty of issues to address on top of Alexander Isak’s absence\"John<\/p>\n

John Gibson is a football columnist writing about Newcastle United. Gibbo has been a voice of the Toon for the Chronicle since 1966.<\/p>\n

\"NEWCASTLEAlexander Isak(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n

Newcastle are having an L of a time right now not just because of Alexander Isak’s despicable absence and a stockpiling of injuries but because they must stagger from Liverpool to Leeds still searching for their first victory in the public’s gaze.<\/p>\n

United<\/a> failed to win in six public pre-season friendlies and have topped that off with two winless PL outings. Unimaginable when claiming the Carabao Cup and securing Champions League football wasn’t it?<\/p>\n

Elland Road would appear to be an ideal opportunity to get three points on the board except that as many as four key players could be missing – the suspended Anthony Gordon of course plus Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Fabian Schar. Oh and Isak!<\/p>\n

It’s just as well that outside of the glaring neglect at centre-forward United have completed the signings they required which means that Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey will get an automatic leg up probably along with Lewis Miley and Will Osula. Lewis Hall and Jacob Murphy will also be nudging Howe looking for a recall.<\/p>\n

What difference can Thiaw <\/a>and Ramsey make to United’s progress? Perhaps we’re at the beginning of the long road to finding out.<\/p>\n

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Newcastle have played well for one point out of six which must quickly become four from nine before players get disillusioned at not getting justice and being handicapped by a lack of a line leader.<\/p>\n

Midfield would once again appear to hold the key to success or failure. Like it or not taking such influential players as Sandro<\/a> and Big Joe out of harness significantly weakens what is left and puts even more weight upon the shoulders of inspiring skipper Bruno.<\/p>\n

Miley can be steady away as the anchor but United need Ramsey to hit the ground galloping and show why Howe rated him so highly when searching to fill the void left by Longstaff who of course will be thirsting to get a chance to mix it with a weakened United middle three.<\/p>\n

Daniel Farke had started with the same 11 in both Leeds PL games – Howe has done the same – but after an 11-match unbeaten run came to a shuddering end at Arsenal what about the integration of his new signings, Longstaff in particular given we are just about to rock up at their place?<\/p>\n

Leeds have taken the Sunderland blueprint to promotion into the Premier League – hoover up as many new signings as possible to rebuild a Championship squad. In their case that’s 10 new boys so far, virtually a whole team.<\/p>\n

Mind you, Farke’s recruits did little midweek to prevent Leeds from crashing out of the Carabao Cup against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday to heighten depression. Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a hat-trick of chances and a penalty in the shoot-out while Longstaff also blew his spot-kick.<\/p>\n

The damage Isak has done to this club by his self centred decision to go on strike and not play is incalculable. It cannot just be counted in the five points United have sacrificed but in his deliberate indifference to those who cared for him such as team-mates, manager and coaching staff, and fans.<\/p>\n

His controversial actions have been illegal and ought to be punished to the full extent of football’s laws. That he has been paid huge wages while refusing to play pre-season and in this his third PL fixture is outrageous. Would you or I or anyone else in any other professional receive a salary after refusing to work? It beggars belief.<\/p>\n

Football contracts have been rendered useless. Isak signed for a further three years but he thinks it doesn’t matter if he decides he doesn’t want to honour the agreement.<\/p>\n

Player power is rampant. So much for the soccer slavery which Frank Brennan and George Eastham fought against as Newcastle players all those years ago. Slaves have become dictators.<\/p>\n

Is the stand-off his fault or his agent’s fault? It’s both of them. There is no doubt that he has been given aggressively shocking advice to stir it by a bunch of middle men with odious reputations when previously dealing with clubs (agent plus unlicensed ‘advisers’) but he didn’t have to take it.<\/p>\n

Isak is scuttling off next week to join up with Sweden because there are two World Cup qualifiers to be played. Well if he isn’t a Liverpool player by Tuesday he better get his head round playing here because it is World Cup year and he cannot afford to sit and sulk twiddling his thumbs throughout a whole season whatever his agents tell him.<\/p>\n

Even if Isak stays because we won’t allow him to do what he likes when he likes United MUST sign a striker replacement for Callum Wilson before Monday night with the Swede unable to last for 90 minutes through his lack of training and match participation. It’s not only his mind that is scrambled but his body has collected rust.<\/p>\n

May I point out to our fallen hero that it is possible to be United’s centre-forward and leave for another big club while still retaining the love of the faithful if you go the right way about it.<\/p>\n

Wyn Davies helped United claim their one and only European trophy before signing for Manchester City and then Man United. However on Thursday in a show of devotion a bunch of diehard Newcastle fans left the city at 5am to attend Wyn’s funeral in his home town of Caernarfon where they laid a huge wreath on his coffin draped in black-and-white with a No 9 emblazoned on it.<\/p>\n

I’ve never been so disillusioned by a Newcastle player over seven decades of passionately following my home town club as I have with Isak. This man has ruined permanent lift off setting it back indefinitely.<\/p>\n

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