Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has only had one public fallout with a player during his time in charge at St James' Park - and it came in the form of Ryan Fraser
11:00, 14 Aug 2025
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak is keen on a move to Liverpool
Eddie Howe has faced just one public bust-up with a Newcastle United player prior to this summer.
That particular incident occurred when winger Ryan Fraser vanished from the scene following a spell on the bench during the away clash with AFC Bournemouth in March 2023.
Fraser found himself banished to the reserves and was never seen again at the club's first-team training facility at Benton, effectively ending his senior career at the club.
At the time, Howe told the media: "I made the decision to concentrate on the players that are committed to Newcastle and for the benefit of the group I made that call."
Isak is scarcely demonstrating loyalty at present, and while he maintains his silence, only he can genuinely determine whether he feels betrayed by the absence of a contract proposal or unfulfilled promises, reports Chronicle Live.
Alexander Isak reacts during a game
Alexander Isak's could be frozen out of the Newcastle squad(Image: Serena Taylor, Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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As the Premier League season opener approaches and the Isak dilemma remains unsettled, Howe might well consider a similar approach, particularly with Liverpool speculation continuing to swirl around the Benton training ground.
The key distinction between this situation and Fraser's is that the Isak saga has now stretched on considerably longer without him being dispatched to train with the Under-21s at Little Benton.
Furthermore, this unfortunate episode carries additional complications and represents a far more prominent story given Isak's reputation and transfer value.
Ryan Fraser of Newcastle United
Ryan Fraser was frozen out of Newcastle United
So far, Isak has been training solo at Benton, barely interacting with his team-mates and even missed the team barbecue last week. Howe decided that Isak wasn't ready to rejoin first-team action for the friendlies against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid.
Since then, Newcastle have been busy preparing for their match against Aston Villa and making moves in the transfer window, signing Malick Thiaw from AC Milan and pursuing Jacob Ramsey of Aston Villa.
The situation with Isak is more complex than that of Fraser or any other player Howe has had to deal with since becoming head coach.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe reacts during the pre-season friendly match between Newcastle United and RCD Espanyol at St James' Park on August 08, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Eddie Howe has already said Isak will not be involved against Aston Villa on the weekend(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Despite rumours from his agent that he doesn't want to play for United again, there's still a chance that Isak could be Newcastle's top striker.
Howe has the persuasive skills to convince him to return, and Isak is smart enough to realise he could play his way back into contention for Liverpool.
Howe, known for his high emotional intelligence, certainly didn't want this situation for Isak. The plan was to reintegrate Isak into training upon the club's return from the Far East.
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United
Alexander Isak is set on leaving Newcastle this summer(Image: Getty Images)
As the saga continues to loom over Newcastle, it's now a matter of when the door shifts from being slightly open for Isak to firmly shut.
Should Isak refuse to turn out for Newcastle and fail to secure his switch to Liverpool, his only destination will be a spell at the reserve team training facility.
There have been bigger stars than Fraser who've been relegated to training with the second string, including Hatem Ben Arfa and Sylvain Marveaux, whilst the likes of Henri Saivet, Tim Krul, Jeff Hendrick, and Jack Colback all endured periods at Little Benton.
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Relegation to the reserves remains a possibility for Isak, whilst another parallel to the Fraser saga is that 12 months ago, before the Scot was offloaded to Southampton, Newcastle's opening home fixture was against the player's desired destination.
Newcastle completed the transfer just days after defeating the Saints last year, and with Liverpool continuing to monitor Isak's circumstances, history could repeat itself this summer.