Fak

And totally nonplussed by it. He was sent home for non-footballing reasons? Is possible transfer speculation not a footballing reason?

What!?

Of course Isak is/would be open to the move to Liverpool. As would almost every single player in the world would be. They're higher up in the food chain to us, they can pay more than us, they are likely to win more league titles than us and probably go further in the Champions League than us. But that doesn't mean Isak is pushing for the move (yet). And by all accounts he isn't pushing for it. Howe said he's happy here and loves the players and the staff. Howe said Isak wasn't ready for today's game. I believe him with that, maybe he needs a couple more training sessions before he's thrown into a match. So I've no worries if Isak was sent home after the Austria camp to clear his head and rest. For me, it would have been very concerning if Isak and the squad travelled up to Glasgow from Newcastle and then decided to send him home. But is sounds very much like this conversation to send Isak home was done well in advance after a good week of training.

I've not once disputed that his head might or might not be "in the game". All I've disputed is that his head has been "turned". Those are two different things.

There's a difference between not having your head in the game and having your head "turned". Which is what you said about Isak.

Sounds like they all flew into Glasgow from Austria and then told Isak to go home. Like I said further up, it would be a lot more alarming if they flew back to Newcastle, he brought Isak up with the squad to Glasgow and then decided to send him home.

If they all flew to Glasgow from Austria and told him to go home I'm not overly fussed. (That's just the way I feel) If they flew to Newcastle from Austria the other day and then travelled to Glasgow and then sent him home I'd be a bit more concerned.

Ffs

Waugh says he didn't. (From the Athletic)

I've just rewatched his presser and he never said this? Unless there's another interview he said this on?

Where's it saying Isaks head is turned? Or is that just fans reading between the lines of Howes "I respect how short careers are" quote? If Isaks head has been turned I don't think Howe would have come out and said Isak is happy here and confident he'll be with us at the start of the season.

Wouldn't be overly fussed if he was carrying a knock like Isak is and wasn't fit to play. Howe has never had to manage speculation over a player of Isaks calibre before, so it's also a learning curve for him perhaps on how to handle it. Maybe he said some things in that presser he could have left out or rephrased. No idea.

If Brentfords manager came out and said Wissa was happy at Brentford he was confident he'll beat Brentford at the start of the season we'd all be sitting here saying there's another target we've missed out on and for us to look elsewhere. Liverpool are getting Ekitke and Arsenal Gyokeres, which team(s) are people now worried about that can come in and offer us silly money for a player who Howe has said is happy here?

Shocking from Pope no doubt but also worrying we've been shafted one one long punt from Schmeichel.

They're gonna have to get clever and pull the trigger one way or another.

Only one being it shows the lack of squad depth (which we already knew) and it needs a big injection of £££

What transfer interest?

He's got stacks of talent. We'll need Eddie's Midas touch on him mind as he's still a bit rough around the edges but I think he'd be a quality signing. Can't see it happening though.

Last post on the previous page of this thread. Not sure if the rumour is genuine though.

Kolo Muani would be quality

Harsh on TBG.

And we're all so glad to you have you here reminding us daily about how more switched on and clued up you are about it all.

I think he's canny. Just erratic with his finishing.

Darwin Nunez ticks those boxes. Get him in.