Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has aimed a sly dig at Alexander Isak as it seems his summer transfer to Liverpool hasn’t worked out so far.
Shearer surely won’t have been happy to see Isak leaving St James’ Park for a big move to Anfield, so perhaps he’s enjoying a slight feeling of smugness that the Sweden international is now out of form.
Isak was a star player at Newcastle but has only one goal in six appearances so far this season, making a slow start to life at Liverpool.
One important thing to note, however, is that Isak barely had a pre-season due to being on strike as he looked to get out of Newcastle.
Shearer feels, however, that Isak’s actions don’t seem to have helped him.
Alan Shearer on Alexander Isak’s slow start to life at Liverpool
Speaking to Betfair, as quoted by the Daily Mirror, Shearer said: “It hasn’t been the start to the season that Isak would’ve wanted. When you consider Sweden’s front three of Gyokeres, Isak and Elanga and you can’t score and are on the brink of not qualifying for the World Cup.
“Obviously, the manager has paid the price and lost his job which is no surprise. Obviously with the Newcastle situation, Isak not playing or training and understandably hasn’t hit the ground running at Liverpool, he was probably looking to get to full fitness at this international break, but it’s gone the other way.
“It hasn’t worked, he and they haven’t scored and can’t score which, when you look at the ability of that front three, being bottom of the group doesn’t look right at all. The summer certainly hasn’t helped Isak.”
Liverpool fans probably won’t be panicking just yet as it’s still early days for Isak, who looked like a world class performer at Newcastle.
Still, it would be very helpful for LFC during this difficult patch of form if Isak could start finding the back of the net as quickly as possible to calm the mood inside Anfield.
Of course it has worked, given his sole reason for doing it was to force his way out of NUFC to join LFC. Had he not done that he’d still be stuck there, a lack of fitness for a few weeks is a small price to pay and he’d have been aware of that when doing it. He’s signed for 6 years, not 6 games.
You’re right in that he moved to double his salary and he’s achieved that. From a footballing perspective it hasn’t worked, yet.
He may well repay those wages and transfer fee over the length of his contract, should be decide to honour it.
However, if Liverpool overpaid because Newcastle’s system was better suited to giving Isak what he needed to score, then that may not happen.
I personally think he isn’t Liverpool’s best striker and will struggle for game time, but I guess we will have to wait and see….
He moved because Liverpool (with respect to Newcastle) is a more prestigious club.
The Toon owners were very happy with the money.
They’ve upgraded across their team with it for more solid foundations.
It’ll see them progressing in their own way, at their own pace.
Money’s less of a deciding factor when these lads already earn more than they could spend in a lifetime.
He’s ambitious and wants silverware too.
Regularly playing at the top plays well with his Swedish responsibilities too.
It’ll be interesting to note if Alex has a release clause in his LFC contract, but I’ll be surprised if it ever gets triggered.
He’s where he wants to be. That is clear, No ?
Liverpool know exactly what he offers, they do their homework.
Surely the level of intent LFC showed on wanting him, tells us they consider him the kind of player to build a system around ?
Eg. Keegan/Toshack, Rush/Dalglish, Gerrard/Fowler/Owen/Torres/Saurez,
Wirtz/Isak ?
What we’ve already seen from him on the international stage, as well as with Newcastle tells me that he’ll vying with the likes of Mbappe etc. for Ballon d’Or consideration in a season or so.
Hugo’s hit the ground running to a degree, but I’m glad we have them both.
That’s the way to look at it, he might get better and I hope he does well for your club, I just find it a bit sad the lengths he went to lo leave Newcastle long before his contract was up, to then go on strike and go off to his old club to do training with them when he would have been with his squad, he said there was an injury when clearly there wasn’t, but that’s all history now leak can be a bit petulant at time, good luck
It was a bit sad, not a good look for all concerned.
I would hazard a guess that going to Real Soc in pre-season was more from his agent (allowed by Sociedad also) and also sanctioned behind the scenes by Newcastle themselves in order to avoid negative media attention affecting the rest of the squad (ie. what the rest of the Newcastle lads don’t know, the over intrusive media hacks can’t ask).
The best thing to come out of the whole media mess is the highlighting of why it’s important that agents have their clients’ best interests at heart when it comes to contracts that are flexible and fair.
Sensible, market priced release clauses can help avoid such impasses.
More players/agents are now personally checking this.
.and Paula, Alex isn’t petulant in any way.
He’s a very talented, humble and professional lad.
Like most of us, I think he probably has short shrift with people who bully, deceive and procrastinate to cover up their faults.
New director of football needed at St. James’s recently ?
When forces bigger than one football club are at work for higher reasons than most fans will ever become aware of, then they happen.
Sometimes it just gets fraught when not all are observing the same sensible strategy.
He won’t last 6 years. Three if you are lucky.
…..and here’s ya troll, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Been consulting yet crystal balls, tarot cards and tea leaves, have you, Philip ?
Tragic.😢
Be in peace, Phil.
You can’t know, and you sound bitter.
Go support your own team and good luck to them.