Newcastle United started their 2023/24 Premier League season off in the best possible way at the weekend, running riot in a 5-1 win over Aston Villa that owed much to the double strike of Alexander Isak.
The Swedish striker was a constant thorn for the Villa defence with his movement, range of passing and work rate in hassling and harrying the visitors back line.
To that end, it seemed an odd decision for Eddie Howe to take him off on 68 minutes and replace him with Callum Wilson.
It’s certainly a decision that didn’t meet with universal approval, with fellow Swede, and former Arsenal legend, Freddie Ljungberg, slamming the manager over the substitution.
“I feel that he takes Isak out quite early. I think it is important that Isak is number one then Wilson gets to play the remaining matches,” he said on Swedish television (h/t Expressen).
“If you are you a striker, at least the strikers I have played with, scoring goals inflates the ego a little bit. They score goals, then the fans are on your side, and their goals can help win the league.
“If you take them out in the 60th minute, there’s a lot of swearing in the dressing room afterwards. They are mad at the coach, because they want to get into their flow, they want to play.
“At the end of matches, opponents get tired and that’s when some simple balls in means goals and a confidence boost.”
Perhaps the benefit of the doubt should be given to the manager.
Howe will understand that it’s a long, hard season with a Champions League campaign to boot, and, given that the game against Villa was almost done and dusted at 3-1, he may have seen it as a sensible decision to rest one of his star players whilst he had the chance.
Isak’s look as he came off told its own story, though it’s said that players should never be happy about coming off and Howe isn’t likely to take it personally.
With more important games on the horizon for the Magpies, that 20 minutes of energy saved may well prove to be the best decision in hindsight.
Mayby he should mind his own business. His replacement (callus wilson) went on to score another GOAL contributing to the teams performance. It just goes to show how scared everybody is of NUFC this season ha ha