Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe admits that the situation of Alexander Isak left him a lot of frustration and regret before an intriguing match against the pretender of the Swedish striker Liverpool on Monday.
With Isak who pushes for a move, Howe admitted on Friday morning that the actions of the Swedish left disappointed management.
Toon’s manager started: “He will not be part of the team this weekend.
“The club must act in the best interest of Newcastle United. It will do it in each situation
“It seems that it is coming to an end, or it will end fairly quickly.
“It is disappointing that I have to mention this for a long time and get away from football. The players have done well to get rid of everything. He is there in the background, it is regrettable that we are in this situation.”
Sad moment
Isak and Newcastle exchanged public statements in the middle of the week while the player’s frustration prevented Liverpool reached social media.
Asked about the striker’s decision to make public, Howe said: “It was a sad moment. My preference is that these things do not happen publicly. They are better treated behind closed doors. But the needs must. The club spoke and rightly so at that time.
“He contracted us. He is our player. My wish is that he plays on Monday. He will not be and it is regrettable. But 100% I want him to return to a shirt in Newcastle.”
Howe, by extending the theme, also pleaded for Isak and Toon support. Howe retains the hope that his star attacker will remain and the relationship with repaired fans.
He added: “The relationship between our fans and Isak can always be good. Fans will always react to the way a player plays. There are always two sides to a story. We will see where we are in a week. I hope I can work with him again ”.
Liverpool can expect an electric atmosphere
Indeed, going to the game, Howe is optimistic about hosting Reds on Monday, knowing that home support will be ready for the game given the controversy around Isak.
He said: “The first home game will always be electric. Under the lights, evening games are always really special for us. I have no doubt that it will be a really passionate display of home support.
“We have to use it, but not be reckless with it. We have to concentrate and deliver our match plan, but the use of the crowd’s energy will be vital for us.”
A bonus for Howe and Newcastle will be the availability of Jacob Ramsey, who signed on Friday at Aston Villa.
“He will be available. We still have training sessions before the match, but he is in a good place and looks really impressive. Really, really good, very intelligent, and I think he will add a lot to the team. He has remarkable qualities.”
Gordon is part of an attacker
With Isak Frozen, Howe is left without attacker recognized for the game and will continue with the winger Anthony Gordon in a role of central attack.
The manager said: “He did it enough to do the work very good for the team. I have no problem playing it there, both as a starter and a substitute. He plays differently for other attackers, but it can be positive.
“He has a devastating rhythm, a very good work ethics, and he has scored goals. I think he played very well last week in many different phases of his game.”
Howe also responded to rumors that Isak is not greeted by his teammates from Newcastle.
He concluded: “There is no doubt that the players will feel. I think they will feel the same thing as me … If Alex decided to come and play for us, the players would welcome him in return.”
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