United's lack of cutting edge at Aston Villa was clear to see despite some encouraging signs on the opening day
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is interviewed
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe(Image: James Marsh/Shutterstock)
Let's get a big Wissa wiggle on this week. Let's sting the Bees into action and get Newcastle's season moving. Then let's take a massive sack of gold off Alexander Isak for once again refusing to play this time against Liverpool, a club he is passionate to join while negotiating a brutal divorce on Tyneside.
Decisive action is required. A steamroller to flatten objectors if necessary. Opening day was the start of United's Premier League life without Isak and it was all-too predictable. It was a new castle without a king.
United dominated the first half with slick football, eight attempts on goal to Aston Villa's none. Then second half they played against 10 men following Ezri Konsa's deserved sending off. Result: no goals scored. A 0-0 draw when a win ought to have been secured.
Please go and get Yoane Wissa. You have signed a replacement Brentford so bow to the inevitable. Wissa plays centre-forward and scored 19 PL goals last season from 35 appearances. Oh do those figures sound refreshing to a parched Geordie palate right now.
Isak is the striker who has gone on strike, who has shown nothing but contempt to Eddie Howe who has helped him so much accelerate his fabulous potential. To team-mates who have had to go into battle without his help. And to fans who have idolised him in a way approaching the No 9 legendary status of the likes of Alan Shearer, SuperMac, Wor Jackie and wee Hughie Gallacher. I am sick to death of his attitude which has soured our summer.
Isak's agent has told him to rattle the cage, not cross the picket line, keep the pressure on and the promised land of Liverpool will be yours.
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His going is not the problem. It happens in football. It happened with Malcolm Macdonald, Andy Cole and Les Ferdinand. It is the way it has happened, the nastiness, the burning of bridges when mates were standing on them.
Who would have thought just five months ago, on March 16 when Isak scored the winner against Liverpool to bring Geordies the Carabao Cup amid mass delirium, that a hero could so quickly become a villain.
What we have here is a white knight Eddie Howe who has conducted himself with admirable dignity and restraint in the face of intolerable pressure and a petulant sulker who has betrayed his wonderful talent and legacy like a spoilt child stamping his foot. Whatever the eventual outcome may all of football recognise the difference.
Maybe Howe and players could welcome him back should he find his dream blocked off come September but could fans? United's away following, relentlessly loyal and passionate, chanted: "We don't care about Isak, he doesn't care about me, all we care about is NUFC." I hope he gets the message and it pricks his conscience.
Anthony Gordon was the sacrificial lamb having to give up his natural position which has brought England caps to fill in for the Incredible Sulk.
He did his very best, was lively and relentless, never gave up the chase and worried Villa so much that Konsa fouled him to see red. But he missed a great heading chance first-half just as Anthony Elanga fluffed his winning lines after only two minutes. Goals simply weren't on United's menu.
Elanga's brutal pace worried Villa to death, Sandro Tonali probed them relentlessly like the pedigree performer he is, and big Dan Burn is always up for a physical fight. Ollie Watkins provided that and consequently the Blyth Bruiser was in his element. This was his sort of challenge. Man of the match territory for sure.
United looked a compact side with a strong bench, a team packed with players full of pace and power but without a cutting edge which remains a huge worry while rivals like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have all signed No.9s.
Amid the relentless Isak furore the greatest sadness might turn out to be losing Hugo Ekitike not Benjamin Sesko or even the big Swede himself. Ekitike has bristled with quality and goals as an appetiser to the new season. Let's hope he doesn't rub salt into a gaping open wound on Monday of next week.