Every word Eddie Howe said on Alexander Isak's future during a tense pre-match press conference ahead of Newcastle's clash with Liverpool
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and striker Alexander Isak
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and striker Alexander Isak
(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Alexander Isak was inevitably the dominant topic at Eddie Howe’s latest pre-match press conference, with Newcastle United set to host Liverpool at St. James’ Park on Monday night. The Reds have already had one £110m bid rejected for the wantaway striker and are understood to be ready to return to the table should they be given encouragement from the North East that a deal could be possible.
The Sweden international continues to train alone and will not feature against Liverpool on Monday as the messy transfer saga continues.
Isak broke his silence on his future on Tuesday when he released a statement on Instagram, moments after he was confirmed as being named in the PFA's Team of the Year for last season, insisting that his Newcastle career was over, citing broken promises behind the scenes.
The Magpies soon responded with an official statement of their own later that night as they expressed their disappointment in his actions and claimed he would be likely to stay put at St James' Park.
Howe faced the media for the first time today (Friday) since both statements were made public.. Answering a plethora of questions for 27 minutes during a tense press conference, here’s everything he had to say about Isak as Liverpool continue to monitor the star's situation…
Has there been any change in Isak’s situation? Will he be involved against Liverpool?
“There has been no change. No, he won’t be part of the squad for this weekend’s game.
On Newcastle’s statement...
“My preference for these things is it doesn’t happen publicly because I think everything is better dealt with behind closed doors.
“But needs must and this situation the club has spoken, and probably justifiably so in that moment.”
Can Isak be reintegrated into the squad?
“Yeah, of course (I still hope he can be reintegrated into the squad). He’s contracted to us, he’s our player.
“My wish is that he would be playing on Monday night with us. But he won’t be and that is regrettable at this moment. But 100%, I want to see him back in a Newcastle shirt.”
How are you dealing with the Isak saga yourself?
“These situations are from ideal as in talking press-wise and a lot of the attention has gone onto that rather than the team and our preparation.
“As soon as I leave here, I’m back preparing, taking training, delivering meetings, speaking to individual players, trying to get the group in the best frame of mind possible, so the job changes. Just the outside perception is one that is totally different to normal.”
Are you still having conversations with Isak? How is your relationship with him?
“I haven’t seen him this week, I don’t think. I saw him last week. When I see him, we speak as normal. There are no issues there between us.
“Of course it’s a difficult situation from both sides. I can see it’s far from ideal for both parties, and that includes Alex and us. When we see each other, we’re fine and we speak.
“But as I say, I haven’t run into him this week. He’s training later on, detached from the group, and of course then I’m in meetings and pulled all over the place during the day.
“My days are chaotic because there is so much going on in them. But we will, I’m sure, catch up at some stage and hopefully speak soon.”
How do you reintegrate Isak?
“I think that’s probably a conversation for another day (how do you integrate Isak). At the moment, that is not an option for us.
“Rather than talk hypotheticals, I’d rather talk when we get there, when we get to that point.
“Then of course we’ll enter that phase and see what we need to do to try and get the best for Alex, get the best for the team, which is always the priority.
“But until that point, I think we’re best focusing on the players we have available for the next game.”
How much are you looking forward to the end of the transfer window?
“I’ll be pleased when it’s here. I say pleased, if we have what we want. Whenever you go through a transfer window, there’s always ups and downs throughout the window.
“It feels there have been quite a few downs in this one. But also some big positives as well and I don’t think that should be forgotten.
“The players we’ve signed I think are very, very good players and I think they will add a lot to the squad…
“Of course there’s one big challenging situation that’s not resolved. From that side, I can’t wait for the end of the window because we can get back to focusing on what we need to do, which is trying to win matches to be successful.”
Do your players want Isak back in the squad?
“I think there’s no doubt how the players will feel. I think they will feel the same way I do.
“Alex is an outstanding player and I have to say he’s a very, very good person. Good character, good lad, wants to succeed in his career.
“This has been a really difficult situation for him, for the players we have to see us without him. I think they’ve handled it really well.
“But if Alex decided to come back and play for us, I think the players would welcome him back.”
Is the club close to signing anyone?
“We’re working hard on incomings. I wouldn’t say we’re close. We still have a little bit of time but that time will go very quickly as we know.
“We’re in a position where I think the squad’s in a really good place, but we’re still looking to replace Calum Wilson. That’s the big area we’re working on.”
Will Isak’s situation be resolved before the end of the transfer window?
“I’m not a fortune teller, unfortunately. I would love to be but I’ve got no way of knowing what will happen in the next few days in terms of getting some finality on the situation. I’m in the same boat as everyone else really.”
What are the best interests of Newcastle? Selling a player you want to keep or keeping a player who wants to be sold?
“The club has to act in the best interests of Newcastle United. It will do that in every situation.
“I think it is a lose/lose situation to a degree for us because I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation. And that’s why I’ve said all summer it’s a difficult situation for the club to manage.
“We love Alex in the sense of what he’s done for the football club since he’s been here, what he’s contributed, what he’s given, how professional he’s been.
“This has just been an unfortunate few months. It looks like it is coming to an end, or it will come to an end pretty quickly and then we can focus on the football again.”
Can you get a totally committed Isak back?
“If Alex is to play for Newcastle again, he has to be totally committed. I don’t think it works any other way.
“That question is for another day. But any player that puts on the shirt and steps out onto the pitch has to give his all for the team.”
Has Isak been fined or faced disciplinary action for failing to play or the statement?
“That is a question I don’t know the answer to. I’m not dealing with it.
“My focus is on the team that we have, all the training that we are trying to prepare to give our best against Liverpool. Someone else is dealing with that.”
Were you disappointed when Isak’s statement dropped?
“I think my emotion was one of disappointment in the respect that these things are being made public. For me, all of these things should ideally be face to face, club and player.
“The public, yes, it’s great for you guys, it’s great news. But it doesn’t reflect well on us or Alex.
“That would be my preference, it always is on these things. But in the modern day world, that’s sort of what happens.
“From the club’s perspective, they felt they had to act and reply. But for me, it’s a sad moment trying to deal with it all.”
Is there a scenario where the transfer window closes, Isak is still a Newcastle player but doesn’t play?
“I can’t read the future, I don’t know what’s going to happen. But it goes without saying if you’re going to select a team to play, those players have to be committed and give their best performance…
“All the other stuff around it, things can change. A player might not be in a great place one day, and a few days later they are there and ready to play.
“That is the beauty of human beings, we can all change our emotions and feelings quite quickly.”
Has Isak been badly advised?
“I don’t think that’s for me to comment on and give an opinion on. That’s for Alex to reflect upon.
“I can only control and deal with my train of thought and my actions. I’m not going to give an opinion that I don’t really fully know everything about.”
Can his relationship with the supporters be repaired?
“Yes, I believe they can. I believe the supporters will always react off how a player plays and what he gives the team.
“This has been an unfortunate situation but there is always two sides to every story.
“There is always more than even I will know because there are conversations and things that have taken place far away from me and my knowledge and understanding of it.
“I’ve become totally detached from the situation to a degree. My job now is to support Alex, care for him at this moment in time and then see where we are in a week’s time.”
Can you trust Isak again?
“Yeah, of course (I can trust him again). Trust is earned, both ways. That has to be a relationship that you develop, when you sign a player and you build that relationship.
“I place a lot of my time and my effort into developing the player, helping the player be the best player that he can possibly be.
“Working hard every day to try and maximise their abilities. I’ve gone on that journey with Alex.
“I don’t think we have any issues on a footballing side, at all. I hope I can work with him again and get him back to his very best.”
Someone is going to have to lose face. Could you bring in an independent mediator to solve things?
I don’t see it necessarily that way, as black and white as that. We will support Alex in every way possible.
“We can’t do that at the moment. The situation does not allow us to. But there will come a time when we can have conversations with him and just focus back on the football.”
Has the club’s message on Isak’s future been strong behind the scenes?
“The club have had a very strong stance regarding Alex’s situation all summer.
“Obviously there has been a lot of communication between the football club and Alex and his representatives that I have not been a part of.
“But for me, nothing has changed throughout the summer.”
Are you saddened by how this has played out?
“Of course (I’m saddened by how it has played out) because I don’t think it had to be this way.
“It’s disappointing that I’m having to discuss it every press conference at length, and taking away from the football.
“We’ve got Liverpool coming up and that’s going to be a tougher game without having any distraction around us.
“Any other focus, which I think the players have done really well to blank it all out and focus on the football.
“I think it’s been a real credit to the group that they have been able to do that. But it’s there in the background and it’s working against us, it’s not helping us. It’s regrettable that we’re in this situation.”
When you have spoken to Isak, has it involved trying to find a resolution?
“Yes, of course (conversations have involved trying to find a resolution) because that is what we want.
“We want him training, we want him playing with the team. That’s our wish, that he’s with us.
“But obviously he’s not so it’s not the desirable outcome for us at the moment until he’s back playing.
“I say that because he’s our player, he’s contracted to us. So that’s a sad situation for us. When I speak to him, we’re trying to find a positive solution all the time.”
How is he?
“I haven’t seen him for about five or six days. But when I last saw him, he was fine, he was good. Normal Alex.”
Is it possible you don’t sign anyone else before the transfer window closes?
“Yeah, of course that’s equally possible (that we don’t sign anymore players). We are still actively in the market but any transfer has to be right for a number of reasons.
“With PSR, you’re always trying to manage that situation. If we make a signing that goes against the long-term planning, we can put ourselves in a very difficult situation again very, very quickly.
“We have to be careful with what we do. Yes, we have a need. But we also can’t allow ourselves to go into a difficult moment where we’re forced to sell a player like we did with Elliott Anderson and Yankuba Minteh.
“So we’re always aware of that. We’re sort of at that moment where we have to be careful.”
Did Isak tell you two weeks before the end of the season that he wanted to leave the football club?
“Yeah, me and Alex had conversations towards the end of the season. Yes, I am not going to sit here and deny that.”
Did he say he wanted to leave?
“I have always said that individual conversations are better off remaining private. But we had conversations at the end of the season.
“But I have had conversations with him near enough every day when he’s here at the training ground. That wouldn't be abnormal. But yes, we had discussions about his future.”
Will supporters struggle to understand his actions?
“This situation is regrettable. It isn’t something we wanted. I’m sure it isn’t something Alex wanted, although it’s led to this position.
“I’m talking about his general conduct every day, his professionalism in terms of how he prepares for games, training, the life that he leads.
“He is very committed, he is very driven and he is very professional. Obviously this situation is something other people can make their opinions based on.
“I’m giving you background about the player I know every day.”