Why charged reunion with Newcastle could prove crucial for Alexander Isak after Liverpool false dawn | OneFootball

An August trip to St James’ Park for Liverpool and an occasion that threatened to revolve around Alexander Isak. Not just this Sunday, either. A year ago, the reigning champions’ trip to Tyneside came when the Swede was the on-strike striker, subject of a tug of war that, arguably, both Liverpool and Newcastle lost. Isak was conspicuous by his absence, meeting the United hierarchy earlier in the day, telling them he wanted to leave.

A spectacular game featured a goal by the striking signing who did prove a success for Liverpool, in Hugo Ekitike, and the player who ended the season as Newcastle’s first-choice No 9, in Will Osula. It was decided in dramatic fashion by Rio Ngumoha, a 16-year-old scoring in the 100th minute.

Isak had no such moment in his debut year on Merseyside. Liverpool’s £125m bought them a player whose injuries limited him to 22 appearances, whose ineffectiveness reduced him to four goals, only three in the Premier League. Newcastle squandered the record proceeds on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. Isak’s first return to St James’ Park promises to be hostile – and a contrast to the tributes to Kevin Keegan, another to play for both clubs, but celebrated at each – and comes with the sense neither Liverpool nor Newcastle have recovered from a costly saga.

There will be two new faces in the dugouts on Sunday, in Matthias Jaissle and Andoni Iraola; maybe Eddie Howe was diminished after the sale of Isak, and Arne Slot after the purchase of him. Supposedly the finisher supreme, he finished off two managers. Iraola, the man charged with resolving the enigma, hopes a new campaign provides a new start. He has tried to avoid preconceptions about Isak’s failure last year.

“You have to be open-minded when you come to a new place and don’t be too affected by the things they tell you about what happened before,” he explained. “You have to try to understand the picture but I think everyone is willing to improve. I haven’t spent too much time thinking: ‘Ok, this didn’t work last season’. I have seen the games and I have my ideas but I prefer to start with a clean slate rather than try to solve the things that didn’t work last season.”

The sacked Slot long argued the lack of a pre-season hampered Isak last year, without ever admitting it was the Swede’s fault he did not have one. Now he has, scoring against Monaco. Twelve months ago, a false start to the season led to a year when he was more discussed than seen, a constant in the conversation but an infrequent presence on the pitch and rarely on the scoresheet.

Iraola will not judge Isak purely on goals; but the numbers were impressive when he scored 21 and 23 in the Premier League in his last two seasons at Newcastle. Liverpool could do with something similar. First of all, though, they need him to be fit.

“I think it is a massive season for Alexander,” said Iraola. “He knows it is [about] two things: the first is availability, and without availability we cannot have the second thing which is the performance level. But I think this has to be the first aim for us, to keep him in a good place in terms of being available. I’m sure if we manage to do this he will perform well because he has been very good during the pre-season. If we can keep him at a good level he will score his goals and he will be a threat. I have no doubts about his level.”

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Isak scored against Monaco and has had a real pre-season this time around (Reuters)

Iraola could be wary, given Isak’s impact on his predecessor’s fortunes and when, with Ekitike injured, he lacks another specialist striker. But his time at Bournemouth showed centre-forwards can thrive under his tutelage. Dominic Solanke scored a career-best 19 Premier League goals in 2023-24. Last year, the rookie Eli Junior Kroupi got 13.

Iraola believes Isak suits his style of play. “I think he’s quite a unique No 9 in terms of he can come to receive and be technically very clean, and he can also be very good attacking the space. Sometimes you get one thing or the other, like a player who comes to link up play and sets the others or a player who is just quick and attacks the spaces, but he can do both. Also, my biggest fight [in pre-season] has been about our press, how to position, how to help the players that he has behind, and I think he is willing to do it and to understand. He is improving with every friendly we’ve played.”

Isak did not press enough last season; but then, when he did not look at full sharpness, he did not move enough or score enough either. Liverpool can hope his second season is the opposite of his first in every respect. But, when Isak makes his first return to Newcastle, there will be a difference from the off. If he can remind Newcastle of what they lost and Liverpool what they gained, there will be another.