I would like to thank Alexander Isak for his behaviour and forcing to leave Newcastle. I would also like to thank Liverpool for the duplicitous way they unsettled him.
Why on earth am I saying that, you may ask? Hear me out…
**1\.** The bloke is not a team player as he showed last season with his performances at the start and end of last season and we only want fully committed players at our club.
**2.** At some point due to the corrupt PSR rules we were going to have to sell a big player to enable us to move to the next level. It might as well be one with the lack of character and morality that he has shown.
**3.** Isak and Liverpool have handed us a massive windfall that has the potential to transform the club over the next few seasons. Without this we would not be able to move forward as quickly and we would all be waiting for the axe to fall on another star player. That is less likely now.
**4.** We now, potentially, have the strongest squad in my living memory (with the possible exception of Keegan’s Entertainers but who knows they may surpass even them)
**5.** The new CEO and Sporting Director (both of whom are top class if reports are correct) will be walking into a club that is united from top to bottom and in a very strong financial position. A club that has qualified for the Champions League in two of the last 3 season and won its first domestic trophy in 70 years. A club that is clearly on the up.
**6.** PIF will hopefully have learned lessons from what happened this summer and even though it was a little late they acted in the last few weeks and made sure the end to they transfer window could be deemed a big success despite the circumstances (next up get the CEO and Sporting Director in and announce a new stadium)
**7.** Eddie Howe, Andy Howe, Jamie Reuben and Steve Nickson have cemented their reputations. In particular Eddie’s handling of the whole Isak affair has been a masterclass in diplomacy, hard work, and man management – we truly have an absolute gem and a gentleman leading the team.
**8.** In summary we have a club that is united from top to bottom, in a healthy financial position, a much stronger squad with players committed to the club, new top class senior personnel to be added very shortly, a second Champions League season to look forward to and hopefully more silverware.
So, in a funny old way, thank you Isak and Liverpool; your £130m might just move us to the next level ahead of time.