Alexander Isak: has a chance to play against Everton (Howe)

[Geogaddi]

Strange performance yesterday.  He looked absolutely hopeless but then he played the exact same role at Anfield earlier in the season and looked class, have been as guilty as anyone calling him for him to start over Wilson recently but yesterday showed why he hasn’t been.

[Sempiternal]

2 hours ago, McCormick said:

He’s certainly not a back-to-the-goal striker, like. Looked a bit like a newly-born giraffe out there but he’s getting used to a new league and getting his match sharpness back; what he was up against yesterday will have been much different to anything he’ll have experienced on the continent. The guy will need time to adapt.

 

 

 

100 percent. Would like to see him in a 2 with Wilson. He’s not gonna be able to hold the ball for us in games like that. Still love him. 

[Aiston]

N-O for 6 weeks - "We need Isak starting instead of Wilson!"

 

N-O after 1 Isak bad performance - "Oh god, we need Wilson back asap!"

[ohmelads]

Like a lot of our players I think he'll do better against teams like Liverpool where there's space to attack on the counter. Against teams that sit deep, he's probably better fgetting the ball out wide where he can run at people.

[Gallowgate Toon]

I think Isak's game is pretty flexible, he has the touch and intent to pass & move which suits trying to break down a side sitting back. Has a decent long distance strike on him too. It just requires other players to be on the same page, like pushing up when he moves out of that central space or when to show for a give-and-go.

[Theregulars]

2 hours ago, Aiston said:

N-O for 6 weeks - "We need Isak starting instead of Wilson!"

 

N-O after 1 Isak bad performance - "Oh god, we need Wilson back asap!"

Crass over-generalisation, as usual. There was a spectrum of opinion on here. I’ve not seen Wilson play that poorly for us, ever. It’s undeniable that Isak played badly yesterday. Yes, the entire team did; but he contributed. First touch was nowhere, constantly gave the ball away. My slight concern with him at this point - and emphasis on slight, as I know nuance escapes most posters - is that he takes too long to get the ball out of his feet and shoot. 

[Holmesy]

Difficult to judge him without Bruno in the team because that’s where the intelligence in supply will come from. He was feeding off scraps all day yesterday and the movement around him was shite.

[Guest reefatoon]

2 hours ago, Aiston said:

N-O for 6 weeks - "We need Isak starting instead of Wilson!"

 

N-O after 1 Isak bad performance - "Oh god, we need Wilson back asap!"

aye, so dramatic.

[KaKa]

1 hour ago, Theregulars said:

Crass over-generalisation, as usual. There was a spectrum of opinion on here. I’ve not seen Wilson play that poorly for us, ever. It’s undeniable that Isak played badly yesterday. Yes, the entire team did; but he contributed. First touch was nowhere, constantly gave the ball away. My slight concern with him at this point - and emphasis on slight, as I know nuance escapes most posters - is that he takes too long to get the ball out of his feet and shoot. 

 

Isak is a completely different type of striker that gets more involved in play and so it's going to be far more noticeable when things aren't quite coming off foe him. Wilson tends to just stay high up the pitch.

 

Because of his play style Isak will need a bit more game time to really get used to the higher tempo in the premier league as well as the physicality, especially having come in from La Liga. Not at all concerned with him. Continue to see enough glimpses of his ability, and it is just a matter of time before it consistently comes together.

[Wallsendmag]

Feeding on scraps yesterday. Not really the game to be judging him on. Worrying how much our performance levels have dropped off with the Cup Final being 2 weeks today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ExiledGeordie]

2 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

Feeding on scraps yesterday. Not really the game to be judging him on. Worrying how much our performance levels have dropped off with the Cup Final being 2 weeks today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah he was totally isolated 

[huss9]

even Jonah would struggle on this forum.

[The College Dropout]

8 hours ago, La Parka said:

He's not a "striker". He needs a body to do the shit jobs up top so he can attack from wide and deep. 

He has to learn at some point.  
 

He’s a lot to learn. But I like the components he has. 

[Theregulars]

5 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Isak is a completely different type of striker that gets more involved in play and so it's going to be far more noticeable when things aren't quite coming off foe him. Wilson tends to just stay high up the pitch.

 

Because of his play style Isak will need a bit more game time to really get used to the higher tempo in the premier league as well as the physicality, especially having come in from La Liga. Not at all concerned with him. Continue to see enough glimpses of his ability, and it is just a matter of time before it consistently comes together.

I’m not concerned but it’s undeniable that he had a shitter yesterday. Hopefully a one-off as you suggest, but if Wilson is fit next week he starts for me.

[KaKa]

8 hours ago, La Parka said:

He's not a "striker". He needs a body to do the shit jobs up top so he can attack from wide and deep. 

 

Um, he is definitely a striker, albeit one that needs players around him that can make the right decisions with the ball and pass it accurately, so it can go into his feet in the right areas.

[Wallsendmag]

31 minutes ago, ExiledGeordie said:

Yeah he was totally isolated 

 

Think Wilson has had the same problem recently as well. I'd like to see them both playing together when fit. Thought they looked a right handful v Fulham when they were on the pitch at the same time.

[ExiledGeordie]

2 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Think Wilson has had the same problem recently as well. I'd like to see them both playing together when fit. Thought they looked a right handful v Fulham when they were on the pitch at the same time.

Yeah Howe is going to have to try something different to address these draws. 

[KaKa]

3 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

I’m not concerned but it’s undeniable that he had a shitter yesterday. Hopefully a one-off as you suggest, but if Wilson is fit next week he starts for me.

 

Wilson has had a number of games where he has been really ineffective as well, and you just don't see much of him during the match, as it's not his game to look to get as involved in general play. 

 

The real issue with the team at the minute is getting the right mix of players in the wide areas and the number 8 positions to improve our support play for either striker. Yesterday's mix of ASM, Willock, Longstaff and Almiron should never feature together again in my opinion, they were a bumbling mess. That foursome has to have both Gordon and Joelinton in there with Bruno out.

[Mattoon]

1 minute ago, TotalWar said:

Isak wasnt nearly as bad as people are making out on here. I would ask, when was the last time one of our centre forwards was deemed to have played well? Seems like Wilson, and now Isak has been coming in for criticism since the world cup restart for being off the pace, not involved etc. Maybe part of it is that we arent functioning in a way to get the best out of our centre forward.

 

Absolutely this, there's no service at the moment bar floated crosses into the box, with teams sitting back we just play around their box knocking easy 5 yard passes, scared to give it away and hoping for something to materialise. 

[KaKa]

Just now, Mattoon said:

 

Absolutely this, there's no service at the moment bar floated crosses into the box, with teams sitting back we just play around their box knocking easy 5 yard passes, scared to give it away and hoping for something to materialise. 

 

The way we move the ball around the box when a defence is set in place against us is incredibly frustrating. Too many touches, very slow ball movement and predictable passes. Almiron does my head in the most in those situations, as he just keeps checking back all the time.

[Theregulars]

1 minute ago, KaKa said:

 

Wilson has had a number of games where he has been really ineffective as well, and you just don't see much of him during the match, as it's not his game to look to get as involved in general play. 

 

The real issue with the team at the minute is getting the right mix of players in the wide areas and the number 8 positions to improve our support play for either striker. Yesterday's mix of ASM, Willock, Longstaff and Almiron should never feature together again in my opinion, they were a bumbling mess. That foursome has to have both Gordon and Joelinton in there with Bruno out.

I agree. This is a really difficult moment for Howe I think, because he’s having to change system on the fly. I reckon we might see Wilson up top, Isak behind as 10, Miggy right and Gordon left. However, it means sacrificing some defensive solidity which has been the bedrock of our season. It really makes you appreciate Bruno, because without him our midfield looks very league average.

[STM]

I thought he has a good game. It's a thankless task playing up front alone. Wilson has struggled too.

 

Get both on the pitch, provided Eddie can make it work in terms of defensive responsibilities.

[Gawalls]

5 minutes ago, Mattoon said:

 

Absolutely this, there's no service at the moment bar floated crosses into the box, with teams sitting back we just play around their box knocking easy 5 yard passes, scared to give it away and hoping for something to materialise. 

Completely agree with this - every lofted ball is a wasted ball as nobody can head it.

[KaKa]

5 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

I agree. This is a really difficult moment for Howe I think, because he’s having to change system on the fly. I reckon we might see Wilson up top, Isak behind as 10, Miggy right and Gordon left. However, it means sacrificing some defensive solidity which has been the bedrock of our season. It really makes you appreciate Bruno, because without him our midfield looks very league average.

 

Yeah, I think yesterday Howe dropping Joelinton deep was the right decision as Bournemouth had that new signing Junior Traore in the number 10 position and he is a tricky customer and is quick and athletic, he would have ruined Longstaff if he had played deeper. So that decision I could completely understand.

 

I think the other key decision was then on the left with whether to start Gordon or ASM. Howe chose to show faith in ASM and try to get him going, which again, I can't really fault as he's waited for his chance, and you'd really be looking for him to be able to exploit a team like Bournemouth who are struggling, but he let the manager down for the most part, as he just didn't do enough at all.

 

I agree that for the remaining game with Bruno out, we're probably best playing Wilson with Isak as a support striker in and around him. I actually don't think we'll see that much of a drop off defensively as both Wilson and Isak press and harry the opposition well, and are disciplined defensively.

[HaydnNUFC]

Tickled at his recent Insta post, its down the Powerleague in Dunston. Plenty of unfit morons such as I have graced that astro.