The College Dropout

I don't think he's particularly streaky tbh. But agree with the general point. Most strikers are like that. I can't think of many strikers that are prolific but are constantly rotated. That might change with the amount of games in the CL now. PSG's ability to rotate/rest players is a big advantage to any other team in Europe.

Thats the fickle nature of football fandom isn’t it? One moment top 5 striker in the world, he’s worth £150m. The next - well he’s only as good as a Jacob Murphy cross. He’s shit. Absolutely fleeced the £125m. I personally think the first is closer to being true but hoping for the second. I think Etikite can get to that level and they both won’t be there in 3 years time. Isak could easily pull a stinker season and quickly become persona non grata and pressured to leave like Nunez was within the next 2-3 years. I don’t see a world where Etikite, Wirtz and Isak are in the same team. I don’t think Isak works well being heavily rotated beyond helping his stamina issues.

Felt that Goretzka and Kimmich are 2 of the most over rated players in Europe.

Nick W scores as soon as I log on here

I’m busy tonight but keeping my attention on the African qualifiers. A lot of the giants in the continent are already through but still a lot to decide.

Oh it get it now. Isak should die = x player is a baller =

And this is how we get to a place where my comments in this thread are more contentious than the posts wishing him death or serious harm.

And I’m just pointing out it wasn’t a good one. Honestly, I do think people view footballers like Senior Executives which contributes to a bit of societal disdain towards them as a class of people. They aren’t viewed as highly skilled workers with highly insecure incomes and a short career, 1/2 of which occurs before full frontal lobe development. So it is that deep.

Ah yes because Isak being a Senior Executive at the football club is in the ballpark. But Jamie Reuben being an Executive is a gross misunderstanding of industry power dynamics in this context.

Not to get too political but for me the distinction between a worker and owner/executive management is significant. One has power in authority over the other. The other (the worker) is the one that generates the value. I see work life like this and this is the lens through which I view football. For me player power, is worker power. It’s a fundamental distinction which dictates everything else. An executive has power, an executive has power over employees, executives make the most important decisions. Alexander Isak nor any PL footballer is akin to an Executive. Alexander Isak job is to play football, he has no power over anyone else but himself. The only power he has is to refuse his labour to the business. It’s the tool of the worker against their bosses. Footballers are workers with a Trade Union. Managers have one too. Is there a Union for football executives? If Isak was akin to an executive he would’ve been able to negotiate his contract with the board himself and leave as soon as he wanted minus his notice period/competitor clause. Thats what Eales did. The comparison IS misleading, it distorts the power dynamic. Football clubs do have Executives and they do not include players (except maybe Mbappe at PSG and Messi in Miami).

You are right that Yasir is not an Exec. But Alexander Isak is very obviously not a Senior Exec like you first mentioned. He’s a regular member of the playing staff. Your original analogy is way off and misleading. You have him inordinate power as an Exec which he didn’t have. He used the power any regular worker has - withdrawing his labor. You’re making an argument to fit your narrative.

No. They are literallynot regular employees. Yasir and Jamie Reuben are Executives of NUFC, Bruno G Is obviously not akin to an Executive. Football is an easy business to compare to regular businesses. The footballers are contracted employees. That’s it. It’s that Simple. Executives don’t go on strike. The labour goes on strike. Paul Mitchell over leveraged the power of the contract. The contract is only valuable if Isak plays to t the best of his abilities. This is why Palmer got a new contract a year after signing a 7-year deal. He needs to be kept happy to perform at his best. The contracted years isn’t absolute power - especially against your most prized assets. Going on strike is the workers most powerful leverage against its owners/management. It’s extreme mind.

It’s not like this… at all. Football players are not senior execs - not even the captains. They are (extremely well paid) staff. Workers. The talent. Labour. As the highest performing member of revenue generating staff, Isak agreed with the actual executive management that he would be remunerated at the level of his performance. In the restructure the new management acknowledged he was an elite performer but said the business couldn’t afford to pay Isak what he was worth and worse (to Isak) used the length of contract as a hard form of control to tell him to be quiet and go away. I don’t think any fan, player or whoever thought Isak wasn’t deserving of a contract befitting his ability at that point - except Mitchell and Eales. At this point I think it’s entirely fair that Isak resolves to leave the club after another season. The club have essentially said ‘we can’t afford to pay you what you’re worth’. In the real world the worker joins the rival business asap. And as the primary Labour at the club, players only have 2 forms of power: (1) disharmony, (2) striking. Isak chose both which was too far and a disrespect to the fans and team mates. And the contract culprits were leaving the club - the people that has disrespected him.

Yeh that’s what I agree with @TheBrownBottle on. It’s not excusing his behaviour. But it acknowledges the club did not manage the situation perfectly. A lot of fans have issues with him wanting to leave in the first place I think. I have no issue with Isak wanting to leave, in his situation 90% of people would too. He went about it in an awful manner. I expect Tonali would heavily consider leaving at the end of this season. He might even push for it. But I don’t expect him to go on strike and refuse to train. He’s got better regard for the club and fans than that.

Haven’t followed this discussion bur this is where I’m at. For a lot of fans they don’t want to entertain the idea that the club may have contributed or helped to escalate the situation. It’s heroes and villains.

A lot wrong with sacking Nuno after a handful of games. Get rid of him in the summer and sign players for a different type of football.

He would 100% score a winnnf goal in that scenario.

Sorry it was Botman I said looked slow when he joined from the clips. Bruno I said he looked slow as part of my first observations of actually watching him play. Sorry a whole 6 weeks after he signed. Of which YOU specifically gave me pelters for saying. YOU were totally wrong. 3 years later you’re giving me stick for something YOU played a part in Legit, are you not embarrassed? You’re trying to claim some legitimacy because my dates were 6 weeks out. YOU were one of the people giving me pelters for saying Bruno was slow when I remember how - I’m hiding you. You offer nothing constructive.

Isak was the perfect profile for the system he was in. It’s a similar profile to Wilson but a levels up.

You not embarrassed to spend years following me around the forum and getting it wrong. Just because you want to contradict me?

I owned you. For years. You still on my dick. Ignored.

You seem to have a history of wanting to disagree with me without engaging your brain.

Who thought he was a cunt?

I don’t think Ashworth was shit tbh. He made some sensible decisions.

The last line is key. First order get Sandro and Tino signed up long term.