Alexander Isak

[Theregulars]

23 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

The particular criticism being made doesn’t make sense that’s why. It totally disregards the facts he has been rushed back and is far from fully fit as is clear to everyone. On top of that he’s also scored two in two and he’s one of the best fingers in the league imo. 
 

No striker scores every chance they get and if I wasn’t lazy I’d look it up but I’m sure he’s got one of the best strike rates in Europe. 
 

Rushing players back from injury and then flogging them for 90 minutes is a receipt for further injury but it’s all good, we got to point out how much of a bad second half he had.

Can you conceive of a reality where he makes both positive and negative contributions to a match?

[Theregulars]

And yes he’s got great fingers

[Interpolic]

Don't see the point in criticising his performance when he was clearly dead on his feet like. Ordinarily he/we wouldn't be in that position. We expecting decent hold up play from guys who can barely walk? Pointless criticism which I doubt Howe is levelling at him. 

[Lush Vlad]

Are many people criticising him, though? Most, not all. Seem to be merely pointing out that he was understandably exhausted. Which was why his touch was off and his pace wasn’t there. 
 

I see it as more of an observation and one of the reasons why we struggled after 55-60 minutes. Not a necessarily a slight on Isak and saying he was poor, has to do better, not good enough etc. 

 

In an ideal world. He would have been subbed for Wilson after 60 and we could have brought on fresh legs out wide and in midfield as well. I guess Isak was just the most noticeable. 

[Theregulars]

3 hours ago, Interpolic said:

Don't see the point in criticising his performance when he was clearly dead on his feet like. Ordinarily he/we wouldn't be in that position. We expecting decent hold up play from guys who can barely walk? Pointless criticism which I doubt Howe is levelling at him. 

Even quicker than I expected. 

Saying he could barely walk is needlessly emotive and incorrect. 

 

Was his point not that he thinks Isak could get his fitness levels up and become better at hold up play? Learning from Tuesday, those would be positive developments for player and fans alike. Think of it as “yes he’s great but he could be even greater with more work and time”. 
 

It’s ok to say and hear negative things; it can (and often does) lead to positive things as a direct result. Questioning whether someone might be fitter isn’t saying that they didn’t put in a great shift or have 2 good games back from injury. It’s just saying that, with hindsight and just as a thought, might be something to work on (especially given our ambitions mean we want this many games or more season after season). 

[The Prophet]

It was his second game since returning from injury , it seems fairly obvious he's not at full capacity and his fitness levels will improve.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by The Prophet

[Disco]

As I posted on the evening I’d be absolutely amazed if he wasn’t told to stop running about needlessly and contain his energy/protect himself so he’s able to play at least 75 mins today.

 

If you’re having a go at him for Tuesday which is ridiculous it’s his miss before his goal that was way more egregious.

[The College Dropout]

It’s not having a go man.  Get a grip. It’s an observation and not one unique to Tuesday.  
 

Every footballer has strengths and weaknesses.   Even prior to this latest injury, Isak has struggled with stamina under Howe’s system (AC Milan springs to mind and games last season) at times.  And at times he loses the ball too easily and frequently for a player of his quality.  
 

This is mostly a physical thing which you would hope could be improved over time with the right diet and training programme. 

59 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

Even quicker than I expected. 

Saying he could barely walk is needlessly emotive and incorrect. 

 

Was his point not that he thinks Isak could get his fitness levels up and become better at hold up play? Learning from Tuesday, those would be positive developments for player and fans alike. Think of it as “yes he’s great but he could be even greater with more work and time”. 
 

It’s ok to say and hear negative things; it can (and often does) lead to positive things as a direct result. Questioning whether someone might be fitter isn’t saying that they didn’t put in a great shift or have 2 good games back from injury. It’s just saying that, with hindsight and just as a thought, might be something to work on (especially given our ambitions mean we want this many games or more season after season). 

This is it. 
 

A lot of times on here Criticism leads to non-stop criticism and x player should be sold/improved on.  So there’s no he’s great at x, could be better at y and we love him. It’s Pope can’t kick, let’s upgrade him with Ramsdale.  Or Wilson is always injured - let’s replace him with someone that can stay fit. 
 

To be the truly elite player I know Isak can be. He’s going to have to get fitter and use his size better.  

[Interpolic]

2 hours ago, Theregulars said:

It’s ok to say and hear negative things; it can (and often does) lead to positive things as a direct result. 

 

If you and TCD talking bollocks on here is going to somehow lead to great things for Isak and NUFC then I'm reluctant to interrupt. But Isak's fitness levels were and are clearly not optimal atm so it seems a bizarre time to criticise his... fitness levels. 

 

When he's on a run of 6 or 7 games his fitness levels are fine, he's not quite Bellamy but his pressing is fine, he's not quite Drogba but his hold up play is fine. Just smacks of scrambling to find something wrong beyond a half fit player doing the best he could for us in pretty dire circumstances. 

 

And thanks for keeping my emotive language in check, you're a lifesaver. It's that kind of unnecessarily condescending stuff that gets people's back up when in conversation with you on the football forum, if you care at all

[Ronaldo]

I wonder if there’ll ever be a striker as good in isolation as Drogba. Unbelievable athlete. 

[Rafalove]

Haven’t seen many people talking about him, but even though he missed some chances I thought he was great coming deep to link up play and was partly responsible for how good we were at dominating the midfield area.

[ExiledGeordie]

Just now, Rafalove said:

Haven’t seen many people talking about him, but even though he missed some chances I thought he was great coming deep to link up play and was partly responsible for how good we were at dominating the midfield area.

His fitness looks to be coming in again too now 

[Collage]

He was very good tonight. If he had scored we would be raving 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Collage

[Boey_Jarton]

4 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

Haven’t seen many people talking about him, but even though he missed some chances I thought he was great coming deep to link up play and was partly responsible for how good we were at dominating the midfield area.

Agree. He did some turns in the middle of the park that were outrageous. Link up play was fantastic. 

[gbandit]

Yeah, he had a great game. I need to see that chance back from the first half that he dragged wide from eight yards but I couldn’t care less, he’s brilliant. If he hadn’t been fucked he’d have scored with that run he went on that started 1v1

[aussiemag]

5 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Yeah, he had a great game. I need to see that chance back from the first half that he dragged wide from eight yards but I couldn’t care less, he’s brilliant. If he hadn’t been fucked he’d have scored with that run he went on that started 1v1

the shot was on target, looked like Obama would have saved it, just hit one of their defenders and we got a corner. 

[gbandit]

2 minutes ago, aussiemag said:

the shot was on target, looked like Obama would have saved it, just hit one of their defenders and we got a corner. 

Ah ok, I couldn’t see from my angle but I thought he’d dragged it wide and it had hit someone 

[nemtizz]

2 minutes ago, aussiemag said:

the shot was on target, looked like Obama would have saved it, just hit one of their defenders and we got a corner. 

[aussiemag]

Just now, nemtizz said:

😂😂

[Miercoles]

5 hours ago, Ronaldo said:

I wonder if there’ll ever be a striker as good in isolation as Drogba. Unbelievable athlete. 

 

You rarely see that combination of peak physicality and expert diving in the same player, truly a generational athlete.

[Geordie Ahmed]

4 hours ago, Boey_Jarton said:

Agree. He did some turns in the middle of the park that were outrageous. Link up play was fantastic. 

There was one in particular where he spun Maguire, he left him in no man's land

 

I thought he was really good when dropping deep, either retained possession well and dragged their defenders out or managed to turn them 

 

He's brilliant, just hope he can stay injury free

[Gallowgate Toon]

As has been said, way off his clinical best finishing-wise but his overall play was class until he tired.

[Newcastle Fan]

I'd liked how yesterday his overall play looked better than usual, against PSG he scored but hardly did anything else while yesterday he was dropping back to get the ball and linking up play well.

[aussiemag]

On 26/11/2023 at 09:52, aussiemag said:

 

I would go as far as saying Isak, Bruno, Gordon, Trippier, Botman and Schar in current form would get a game for almost every team in the world. 

 
sticking with this and adding Livramento 

[The College Dropout]

12 hours ago, Rafalove said:

Haven’t seen many people talking about him, but even though he missed some chances I thought he was great coming deep to link up play and was partly responsible for how good we were at dominating the midfield area.

Agreed. He was coming deep and linking it up v. well.  He didn’t get his goal but he had a good game. 
 

He was economical in the press too which meant he had some gas towards the end.