Stottie

If Romano is passing on propaganda from one side of a deal, in my book that makes him a bullshitter. He is not dealing in objective information. Romano described the Real deal for Mac Allister as "IMPOSSIBLE". Presumably because he was paid to. He has never said the Isak deal was "IMPOSSIBLE" despite multiple "not for sale" declarations.

We'll be doing long throws on the halfway line and score from head tennis.

Why would a manager refer people to an online bullshitter for transfer news? The classic (and correct) manager refrain is "don't believe everything you read". Is it because the online bullshitter in question never writes anything detrimental to Liverpool Football Club?

All we've heard has come from Romano etc. (Isak's agent) and whoever does Isak's socials (likely Isak's agent or a pawn of him). The player has remained in the shadows, probably wisely given the snide way this is being done.

While other teams have kept toxic players before, I don't think there has ever been anything like the chorus in the media claiming the selling club must sell and that the buying club deserves or essentially already owns the player, and can dictate the price to one barely higher than a fee the buying club paid very recently for a clearly inferior player. It is one thing for mad keen Liverpool fans to think mad thoughts, but the media should not cheer them on. Of course thanks to Twitter and cunts like Romano, the chorus is much louder than it has ever been before. Based on what Sky Andrew says, a club should not stagger agent payments so that they end long before the player's contract. It means the agent with hawk around the player long before the contract is up to give the agent another payday. This is not good for football. We all assume (naturally) that Liverpool want and need Isak, but on the off chance they're not that bothered, they have got to massively obstruct NUFC as a rival business, including weakening our lineup when we played them, at no cost or the low cost of getting Romano etc. to stir shit up.

Doesn't look like anyone has linked it, so here is Opta on Woltemade. Sounds like we've got ourselves a diamond here. They've also called it the all-important "statement signing". https://theanalyst.com/articles/nick-woltemade-newcastle-statement-signing-stats

Don't worry, it will happen. They are losing VVD, Allison, Robertson, Trent, and Salah, willingly sold Diaz, and have moved Szobo to accommodate James Maddison. It will end in tears.

Not quite (!) but same non-penalty goals as Wissa. Who a fair few on this forum do not want because he's not good enough, 50M is an overpay, etc. etc. fwiw, 6 penalties won by Anthony Gordon in 23-24 was the most in years and nobody else has got that many in the VAR era, where dives and contact outside the box can be chalked off. That's six free goals for Isak. We might get the last laugh, if Isak does not set the world on fire, gets injured etc., but we sure as hell are not going to get it this week. Whatever deal at whatever price will be described as "masterful transfer tactics" from Liverpool. We all know this already. Get yourself a sick bucket ready.

Them already leaking 130M means we can drive it higher. They will be desparate because the window SLAMS SHUT at 7pm on Monday.

He's done a fine job winding them up, even if this affair reaches an ignominious conclusion. For foreign readers. ignominious /ˌɪɡnə(ʊ)ˈmɪnɪəs/ adjective deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.

For all the pelters he gets, Osula has 2 premier league goals for NUFC in 150 minutes on the pitch, less than two entire games. He's mostly been a "run around for 10 minutes at the end" substitute. In the cups, a goal and two assists in 280 minutes. That's quite good for someone "clearly not ready". We'll get another striker in I guess, or Isak will eat humble pie and play if PIF play hardball, so I doubt the Lewis Hall type opportunity will come for Osula, but he's coming along nicely if, inspite of the dance moves, mad celebrations, and assorted craziness, he remains under the radar as a player.

If we end up standing firm by while other interested parties bought other strikers and then wilt and accept a low uncontested bid, that will really really poor. Presumably no-one else tapped up Isak because they thought he was too expensive at our imaginary fee.

In build up Harry Kane is several times the player Isak is. He also scores more goals. That is what I call elite or a unicorn. Isak dribbled past five Everton players. Once in one game. He is not Mbappe doing dribbling past two or three every game. His output in three NUFC seasons are barely better than Callum Wilson's. In a month's time, it is likely people will say Woltemade is a better team player.

Christ, the propaganda from Liverpool shills is nearly as bad as Israel's. If they are already admitting 130, we can get em higher. This is the summer of the overpay. If half their fans think the decided fee is an overpay, I think it will prove to be one in hindsight, that's good enough for me. PS. Gyokeres has the same goals+assists for Sweden as Isak in under half the game time. Which begs the question of how many Gyokeres would get for NUFC.

I'm the opposite, I think Isak's value will go down with every goal Woltemade (and Wissa if we get him) scores. He may be at peak value now. Anthony Gordon currently leads the league in shots taken. He's not a center forward of course, but we've created 10 shots for him, in a game and a half against Top 7 opposition. Playing up front for Eddie in our team with our players is a sweet deal. I wouldn't take it as given that Isak will develop further and score far more at Liverpool. They are a team in massive transition losing or about to lose some of the Premier League era's greatest players, including some very creative ones. Replacing them with merely good players is a big downgrade. We've seen Kerkez and Wirtz (and most importantly Slot) against 10 men and let's just say I was not very impressed. Buying Isak looks like a chequebook answer to much wider problems.

Yes, capitulation, by them. As we've seen with Wissa etc. the buyer does not set the price. A bit of pushing and that can be 140M or 145M. Make Isak file a transfer request, preferably after telling SkySports we've accepted a bid. That way, the public will pressure him to do it, so as to not leave the their beloved LFC a striker short. Let him go, but make sure he pays for it. Once our new lads are banging them in, you'll forget about Isak. The king is dead, long live the king.

The match on Monday started with the commentators saying "Liverpool have only bid on the player" as if they have done nothing wrong. It is complete bollocks. They have tapped him up and offered him a huge salary, likely 300k plus, one we cannot match due to PSR. Without it, no agent would put out that "only wants Liverpool" message which has been given to Romano and Ornstein 100% with Liverpool backing.

Kind of obvious, but Woltemade not going to AFCON makes it easier to buy an AFCON-headed striker, like Wissa or Jackson.

Among other things, that pile of bollocks says Isak will reintegrate if Liverpool tell him "a transfer is not possible", i.e., the fee we are asking is too high. I think that is called a win-win!

Whoa-oh! Toon Army! Who-oh-a-oh!

Stats noncery for those into it. Comparison with Ekitike and Sesko (previous targets) and Isak here, on last years' numbers. Click on "Toggle Per90" to get stats per minute played, because big Nick got much less game time. https://fbref.com/stathead/player_comparison.cgi?request=1&sum=0&dom_lg=1&player_id1=7ca196eb&p1yrfrom=2024-2025&player_id2=5b92d896&p2yrfrom=2024-2025&player_id3=3260690c&p3yrfrom=2024-2025&player_id4=8e92be30&p4yrfrom=2024-2025 Notable ones are big Nick is much more of a team player, with 25% more passes a game than Isak and a third more touches. More shot and goal creating actions than the other three. Shooting is just as good, but his average shot distance is far shorter, making him a penalty box striker. The big Nick heatmap on Sofascore has a massive red patch in the box and also at inside left. So my impression off numbers alone is that he's a bit unicorny, he's involved a lot in buildup with passes and touches, but also gets lots of classic striker, I dunno Sir Les or Demba type goals. Also draws lots of fouls, so more of a handful than the other three.

Whether Isak goes or not is out of Baldwards' hands. Whether eScousers get tormented before any possible deal though is in our local journos' hands. If we can wind them up and ruin their week, I say go for it. The Isak palava has ruined our summer and cost us five points. No skin off my nose if the tweets Baldwards puts out prove to be wrong and eScousers end up gloating. At least we got to wind em up first.

Btw, Opta reckon Bayern have the hardest CL fixtures. Good time for them to strengthen!

Swap deal with Harry Kane. Kane 150M and Isak 200M for PSR. I, for one, welcome our new German overlords!

eScousers hitting Baldwards with 1.1k replies in 90 minutes. He's got em raging. Nearly 100 replies per long ball hit by Liverpool on Monday.