The College Dropout

What’s with all the police? I like Arsenal but I need them to lose.

Most are reporting £70m flat with potential to go to £80m right? Thats good money.

Aye.

Gabriel has been immense. Will concede a penalty.

PSG started the game like it’s Ligue 1.

It’s a good fee and he’s gone to a massive club. I’m actually happy for him. But he wasn’t that great for us.

Aye. It’s also making me reflect more on the Isak saga. and wider player, fan, club relationships. Isak was a better player for us - consistently but was treated worse by the club. and I know one thing has informed the other but it’s left a bad taste. and yet I’m still happy for Gordon. As difficult as I think he’ll be to replace - I still don’t think he’s that good.

I’m not being overly negative. Gordon was a good player for us and I’m happy he’s got a good move and we’ve sorted this out early and secured a good fee. But I don’t think he gave us his all enough over 3.5 years. He was highly indulged by the club and Howe and I don’t think he deserved it. I don’t hold him in as high regard as Cabaye, Ba or Isak simply because he wasn’t as good for us.

Massive shame that. Annoying. Iraola would be good for Isak. A more direct style of play suits him. 60 hard minutes is his sweet spot. Think his body reacts better to rougher training - trained intensity.

I always thought he was just a bit mentally fragile. The best players know how to maintain their zone. Rooney was radge his whole career - that’s how he needed to be. Kane is always cool and composed. Seemed like Gordon needed everything to be lined up right to consistently perform. A big part of that is a lack of technical ability to fall on. But that doesn’t explain why the work rate drops off.

He’s giving the other side of the coin. Gordon was undoubtedly a good player for us. But equally there’s been discussion for 2 years about his performances, attitude and whether he should be starting ahead of Harvey Barnes. Theres a narrative that he’s joined, developed, performed great consistently and is moving to bigger things. In reality he’s been up and down with a questionable attitude for 2 years - signing a new bumper contract in that period anyway. Been accused at times of being lazy and feigning injuries and demanding to play in his favoured position. Players have come to Newcastle, performed better, more consistently, better attitude, for worse regimes and received significantly worse send offs. Gordon has manicured his public image and career tremendously well. Honestly a lesson for young players. His agent has done his job excellently. Players like Guehi - play it straight - get dicked around by clubs losing millions in the process.

Very true. The major difference is how thr club have handled it and they handled it a lot better this time. I actually think Isak deserved his move a lot more. He had the same contract for all 3 years and was our standout player for 2 of those years - good in the other too. Gordon never fully recovered from having his head turned but signed a bumper new deal afterwards anyway. At best couldn’t find his best form after. It doesn’t reflect well on him I’m sorry. Professionalism is Guehi playing for Palace with 6 months left on his contract with a City move pending, when a previous move fell at the last hurdle too. On half the money Gordon is on. Ditto Semenyo, scored the winner for Bournemouth the day before signing for City. If Gordon was playing at his best level consistently, fully committed, training at 100% and raring to go - would Howe bench him? I will never be able to prove it. But if Gordon’s England place for the World Cup was in the balance and he needed to show something he would’ve played. I can’t respect a player that was happy to sit out numerous games at the end of a season to protect a move.

Agree with the feeling here. Good job sorting out Gordon nice and early. Flogging a player that has attracted Bayern and Barcelona isn’t that hard though like. It’s just acting decisively and quickly and getting a good feethat is worth applauding. Avoiding an Isak scenario where I think the club was ultimately at most fault last year is positive but a bare minimum. the real test is incomings. I want Mbaye.

I pretty much give players the benefit of the doubt when it comes to effort. But worst thing you can say about Isak’s performance was that he was bad for his last 10 games here (same level he’s been at at Liverpool btw). 3 years, some injuries year 1, 10 bad games to see it out - absolutely stellar 90% of the time.

I always gave him the benefit of the doubt effort wise. But certainly something was off mentally. He was never able to consistently lock in. Game after game apart from that one season and he wasn’t good enough to perform at his best level unless locked in. I took it for mental fragility. Be interesting to see how it plays out at Barca. When off form does the running and pressing dip too again? Or does he always provide genuine up and down effort there? Does he get petulant red cards? To a degree Gordon was always a player that did things for optics. He was always much better at pressing forward than tracking fullback runs the way the Joe’s did so diligently. Gordon would do the type of 1 man pressing the crowd likes but get nowhere near the ball (like the Liverpool red) but would often let his fullback run free.

Aye. And yet overall I’m still kind of happy for him. It’s a mega move. The narrative is a bit of a false one. I am a little salty that he hasn’t been consistently good for us for 2 years. Including really poor red cards, a lack of effort, possibly feigning injury and sitting games out at the end. You show me you care by showing up and doing your job to the best of your ability. I’ve always given Gordon the benefit of the doubt about effort (outside of a few instances of losing the ball and not running to get it back). But when his head is so turned he’s not selected during the season I can’t applaud that. I am looking back kinder on Isak. Played better. Better application, attitude even fitness level. Denied a new contract and then the club dug in their heels to slow down his sale. I do give credit to Wilson for handling this better. That the difference a DOF makes.

It’s no different from the Isak saga from the player end. Probably worse because of considerably worse performance.

Isak was our standout performer that season. He was poor in the run in but he played and scored crucial goals to secure CL football. In his last season for us he scored 27 goals, 23 in the PL. Isak was routinely excellent for us for all 3 years he was at the club - you can argue he was awful for his last 10 games. Gordons form has been indifferent for 2 years. I always gave him the benefit of the doubt but many have questioned his application game to game for 2 years straight. His head was so turned he didn’t even play in the run in. agree with @Mattoon Gordon’s conduct these last two years has been much worse. The only difference is the club and Eddie Howe have indulged Gordon and made it easy for him. Lessons learned aye but I don’t like how he didn’t play at the end. Guehi played with just 6 months left on his contract. Guehi would’ve been on far less wages and an injury would leave him with no contract. And he was denied 2 moves earlier he was keen on.

Semenyo played well right up until the day he signed for city. As did Guehi. Isak was our best played and was available to the end of the season despite telling the club he intended to leave. I haven’t read the athletic article. Keen to learn.

Why did Howe not play him?

Gordon sacked in the last month, was indifferent for most of the season and got his move in May. Isak did better to this point than Gordon.

How? The club have sold Gordon in May - seemingly inviting offers. This is after being middling all season and sitting out the last month. Isak did the same thing but was being told he wasn’t to be sold. So he had to force the move. All while being our best player for 2 years straight, scoring the winner in the cup final, firing us into the CL etc. Isak was even on his original contract. Gordon only signed a new contract about 20 months ago.

I don’t agree that his behaviour has been handled professionally. He’s looked half arsed most of the season, certainly not played to his best level. And he’s almost certainly sat out the last month. At this point last year Isak had behaved much better. Was our best player the entire season. Available for selection right through the end even though it looked like he was carrying an injury. Told the club he wanted to leave. The only difference is how the club have handled it. I applaud the club for learning from previous mistakes. But I won’t applaud Gordon.

I agree that the well wishing send off doesn’t sit right for me. He’s not been at his best for 2 years. And there’s a feeling he dialled it in last season and then sat it out at the end. Which makes the whole transfer seem surreal.

It’s a bit unbelievable right? It’s sad but I’m a little proud of him. When we signed him I would never have thought we would sell him to Barcelona.