Alexander Isak

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

3 hours ago, Disco said:

One of them you see the player snatch at so often. Had a little more time than he thought but can’t blame him for going for it asap.

Think he probably went round the wrong side of the keeper, if he needed to at all. Once he’d gone round him it was a tough finish, all at very high speed.

[Smal]

7 minutes ago, joeyt said:

He's great but it feels too often we have times like the first half where he's not involved at all and he looks visibly really frustrated

 

He's such a talent I still feel we aren't getting the best out of him just yet. Not sure what the solution is.

Easy to forget that he’s not had a full season with us yet. Sometimes we don’t pick him out which isn’t his fault and then sometimes his movement seems a bit off and he’s not where ie Wilson would be to score a goal. Him and the team are still getting used to each other, which is exciting because when it does fully click we’re going to start turning games like today into hammerings.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Smal

[Ikon]

52 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Came off with an injury, hopefully it’s enough to keep him out the Sweden squad for the internationals but be back for Palace.

I agree and I’m Swedish. I support Newcastle much more than my country. Or at least care more when it comes to football. 

[SUPERTOON]

3 minutes ago, Ikon said:

I agree and I’m Swedish. I support Newcastle much more than my country. Or at least care more when it comes to football. 

It’s the same for me and England 

[ryanegg]

10 minutes ago, Geogaddi said:

He’s elite but at the same time Doesn’t seem suited to playing up front on his own but it also feels like he’s wasted on the left , not really sure what the solution is.

It’s a weird situation. I’m sure he played just off Wilson against Fulham at home and scored? We’ve not seen that again since then I’m sure.
 

So many times this season where he just seems too isolated. He’s still done very well despite this, but I’m sure we can get more out of him. 

[Ikon]

Today I thought he looked much sharper in general play compared to before. 

[astraguy]

Does anyone have a heat map first half vs second? didn't work in the first half as he was forced into the left but seem to be more central second half

[madras]

22 minutes ago, Geogaddi said:

He’s elite but at the same time Doesn’t seem suited to playing up front on his own but it also feels like he’s wasted on the left , not really sure what the solution is.

It's not he doesn't seem suited to it, it's more our wide forwards stay wide and none of the midfield three are striker supporters, if that makes sense. It's OK on the break but not so good when possession heavy.

[dave s]

get willock in around him and it’s game on 

[Bimpy474]

That second finish was so cool and casual, absolutely loved it.

[Vinny Green Balls]

Can’t wait to see Willock and Gordon playing together more with him

 

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Vinny Green Balls

[BonesJones]

The solution to get the best out of him, is to get him an Odegaard type. Someone that can turn and make a killer ball in a flash, would set Isak on fire.

[Ronaldo]

2 hours ago, joeyt said:

He's great but it feels too often we have times like the first half where he's not involved at all and he looks visibly really frustrated

 

He's such a talent I still feel we aren't getting the best out of him just yet. Not sure what the solution is.

100%. The solution is to put a creative player behind him and acquire a more consistent RW. Then he’ll look like the best striker in the league.

[NWMag]

There was a point in the first half he came deep, got the ball and charged forward, and was clearly angry that no one had made a run ahead of him. 
 

I get the impression he really doesn’t like playing with Burn

[McDog]

24 minutes ago, NWMag said:

There was a point in the first half he came deep, got the ball and charged forward, and was clearly angry that no one had made a run ahead of him. 
 

I get the impression he really doesn’t like playing with Burn

 

 

Not quite sure where that comes from. He did get left without support on one run I recall but that wasn't Burn.

[Ronaldo]

30 minutes ago, NWMag said:

There was a point in the first half he came deep, got the ball and charged forward, and was clearly angry that no one had made a run ahead of him. 
 

I get the impression he really doesn’t like playing with Burn

Which attacker would?

[stozo]

Kind of insane that most people would probably say we've not seen the best of Isak so far this season, yet he has scored 6 goals in the PL and is the joint second top scorer in the league. 

[NWMag]

5 minutes ago, McDog said:

 

 

Not quite sure where that comes from. He did get left without support on one run I recall but that wasn't Burn.

It comes from Burns lack of attacking in general, but in this particular instance there was no overlapping run you would expect from a full back. He wasn’t the only one in this example, but it’s a safe assumption that he would prefer Targett or Hall at LB

[Smal]

Burn played him an absolutely lush through ball today like so it’s a bit weird to single him out

[Doctor Zaius]

Thought he'd did tremendously well today given he had little support. 

[madras]

9 minutes ago, stozo said:

Kind of insane that most people would probably say we've not seen the best of Isak so far this season, yet he has scored 6 goals in the PL and is the joint second top scorer in the league. 

It's not insane. We just know there's better to  come. It's a few team tweeks to get the best from him 

[NWMag]

8 minutes ago, Smal said:

Burn played him an absolutely lush through ball today like so it’s a bit weird to single him out

Okay so one attacking contribution means nothing ‘not positive’ can be said?
 

To be clear I’m not having a go at Burn. And I’m not singling him out based on one occasion. I’m saying I think Isaks reaction was based on regular occurrences over time where he has lacked support. 
 

I also appreciate if we played Hall/Targett we would lose some defensive steel that Burn brings, but this is the Isak thread and I’m talking about Isaks frustration in the first half today. It’s not like I’ve into the Burn thread calling him shite.

[relámpago blanco]

28 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

Which attacker would?

Any left winger

[Smal]

16 minutes ago, NWMag said:

Okay so one attacking contribution means nothing ‘not positive’ can be said?
 

To be clear I’m not having a go at Burn. And I’m not singling him out based on one occasion. I’m saying I think Isaks reaction was based on regular occurrences over time where he has lacked support. 
 

I also appreciate if we played Hall/Targett we would lose some defensive steel that Burn brings, but this is the Isak thread and I’m talking about Isaks frustration in the first half today. It’s not like I’ve into the Burn thread calling him shite.

I’m not saying you said he’s shite like, sorry if that came across.

 

I just want people to see what I see with Burn in truth . He’s a player who is predominantly in the team to a) provide the structure of our rest defence shape and b) assist in our first phase of build up (you will often see him and the two centre backs for a 3 at the back shape when we have the ball deep whilst Trippier pulls high and wide as part of the attacking unit).

 

I think given this role in the team it’s impossible to also expect him to provide overlapping runs into the final third *regularly*. Whilst this might seem frustrating, the left side of our attack is instead designed - purposefully - for the left sided forward player to combine with the left sided midfield player rather than the full back (unlike ie Trippier and Almirón on the other side). That’s why you see Willock/Anderson/Joelinton often position themselves on the touchline even from the left central midfield position. In our setup it’s their role to combine with the winger rather than Burn’s most of the time. Absolutely no top side leaves only two defenders back apart from maybe Brighton sometimes - and they regularly get exposed for it. Most good sides build with a 3-2 structure (ours is often Burn-Botman-Schar with Bruno-Longstaff in front for example) and have done in the PL since Conte’s Chelsea.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Smal

[NWMag]

48 minutes ago, Smal said:

I’m not saying you said he’s shite like, sorry if that came across.

 

I just want people to see what I see with Burn in truth . He’s a player who is predominantly in the team to a) provide the structure of our rest defence shape and b) assist in our first phase of build up (you will often see him and the two centre backs for a 3 at the back shape when we have the ball deep whilst Trippier pulls high and wide as part of the attacking unit).

 

I think given this role in the team it’s impossible to also expect him to provide overlapping runs into the final third *regularly*. Whilst this might seem frustrating, the left side of our attack is instead designed - purposefully - for the left sided forward player to combine with the left sided midfield player rather than the full back (unlike ie Trippier and Almirón on the other side). That’s why you see Willock/Anderson/Joelinton often position themselves on the touchline even from the left central midfield position. In our setup it’s their role to combine with the winger rather than Burn’s most of the time. Absolutely no top side leaves only two defenders back apart from maybe Brighton sometimes - and they regularly get exposed for it. Most good sides build with a 3-2 structure (ours is often Burn-Botman-Schar with Bruno-Longstaff in front for example) and have done in the PL since Conte’s Chelsea.

 

 

 

All fair points, also part of the reason why I think we will still end up signing an out and out 6 long term, so they can form the 3 with the 2 CBs and both full backs push on. Can’t imagine we have signed Hall and Livramento for one of them to play the burn role.