Everything Eddie Howe said on Alexander Isak as Newcastle United prepare to host Liverpool at St James’ Park.
And it is for that exact reason why Howe’s pre-Liverpool press conference was dominated by questions on the wantaway Swede.
The saga took a bitter turn on Tuesday evening, with the football club needing to come out and defend itself after Isak published a statement accusing them of broken promises.
With only nine days of the transfer window remaining, Newcastle, as it stands, do not foresee a scenario where Isak leaves, despite the player believing that the “relationship can’t continue”.
Indeed, it is more likely Newcastle will try to reintegrate Isak, who will miss the Liverpool game as he continues to train, than sell. Here’s everything Howe said on the situation ahead of the clash against the Reds at St James’ Park:
Has anything changed over the last couple of days with Alex’s situation?
“No, there's been no change. He won't be part of the squad.”
He published a statement, the club responded quite quickly. Is it helpful to you that there is now other communication about this situation coming from the club, coming from higher up?
“I'd always say 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 in this situation the club has spoken, and probably justifiably so in that moment.”
Is it still your hope that he can be reintegrated into the squad, even if that is dependent on him?
“Yeah, of course, 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's regrettable at this moment. But he, 100 per cent, I want to see him back in the Newcastle shirt.”
How are you dealing with the Alex situation personally?
“I think, of course, these situations are far from ideal, as in talking press-wise, and a lot of the attention has gone on to that rather than the team and our preparation.
“But in terms of, as soon as I leave here, I'm back with the team. I'm back preparing, training, taking training, delivering meetings, speaking to individual players, trying to get the group in the best frame of mind possible.
“So the job never changes. Just the outside perception is, of course, one that's totally different to normal.”
Are you having conversations with him? And how is your relationship with him despite all this that's going on?
“I haven't seen him this week, I don't think. I saw him last week. Yes, when I see him, we speak as normal. There's no issues there between us. Of course, it's a difficult situation from both sides, and I can see it's far from ideal for both parties, and that includes Alex and us. But no, 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's so much going on in them. But we will, I'm sure, catch up at some stage and hopefully speak soon.”
How do you turn the situation around and reintegrate him well in this part of the group?
“I think that's probably a conversation for another day. At the moment, that is not an option for us, so rather than talk hypotheticals, I'd rather talk when we get there, when we get to that point. And 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.”
You consistently said that your desire is to see Alex and Isak back in your team. Is that same desire there with the players in your squad as well?
“Yeah, I think there's no doubt how the players will feel. I think they'll 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. He's a good lad, wants to succeed in his career.
“This has been a really difficult situation for him, for the players that we have to sort of see us without him. I think they've handled it really well. But if Alex decided to come back and play for us, the players would welcome him back.”
Do you foresee the situation being resolved before the end of the transfer window?
“I'm not a fortune teller, unfortunately. I'd love to be, but I've got no way of knowing what will happen in the next few days in terms of trying to get some finality on the situation. So, yeah, I'm in the same boat as everybody else, really.”
Are Newcastle in a lose-lose situation?
“I think the club has to act in the best interests of Newcastle United, and it will do that in every situation. I think it's 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. And this has just been an unfortunate few months that it looks like it's coming to an end. Well, it will come to an end pretty quickly and then we can focus on the football again.”
There's two scenarios. You get Alex Isak back or you get a totally committed Alex Isak back. Because they're two very different things...
“Yeah, I think 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 he been fined or disciplined either for failing to appear in a competitive match or after this statement this week?
“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're trying to prepare to give our best against Liverpool.”
Were you disappointed with the nature of the statement?
“I think my emotion was one of disappointment in the respect that these things are being made public. And for me, all of these things ideally should be face-to-face, club and player. The public sort of, yes, it's great for you guys. It's great news, but it doesn't reflect well on us or Alex.
“So that would be my preference. It always is on these things. But in the modern day world, that's sort of what happens. And I think just from the club's perspective, they felt they had to act and reply. But for me, it's sort of a sad moment trying to deal with it all.”
Is there a scenario whereby the window closes and Alexander is out to Newcastle to play out of January and just doesn't play?
“Yeah, again, I can't read the future. I don't know what's going to happen. But I think it goes without saying, if you're going to select a team to play those players have to be committed and giving their best performance.
“I've always believed in those values in order to produce a team that can win football matches. So that's what I'm paid to do.
“But all the other stuff around it, you know, things can change. So a player can be, and I've had this so many times in my career, a player might not be in a great place one day and a few days later they're there and ready to play.
“And that's the beauty of human beings. We can all change our emotions and feelings quite quickly.”
In terms of the way Alex has gone about his business, has he 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. For me, I can only control and deal with my train of thought and my actions. And 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 it can. I believe the supporters will always react to how a player plays and what he gives the team. Now, 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's conversations and things that have taken place way out of, far away from me and my knowledge and understanding of it.
“As I said, I've been focusing the last three, four weeks on the team. Being away for pre-season, so I've become totally detached from the situation to a degree. So I think, as I say, my job now is to support Alex, obviously care for him at this moment in time and then see where we are in a week's time”
Can you ever really trust Alexander Isak again on the pitch?
“Yes, of course. I think trust is earned both ways and that has to be a relationship that you develop, you know, 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, so I don't think we have any issues on a footballing side at all. You know, I hope I can work with him again and get him back to his very best.”
Is there a sense of mediation that you could bring an independent figure in to sort of try and resolve this complicated situation?
“Yeah, I don't see it necessarily that way, as black and white as that. I think we will support Alex in every way possible. We can't do that at the moment. The situation doesn't allow us to, but there will come a time when we can have conversations with him.”
Has the board’s message been equally strong on this subject all summer?
“I think that the club have had a very strong stance in regarding Alex's situation all summer. Obviously, there's been a lot of communication between the football club and Alex and his representatives that I haven't been a part of. But for me, nothing's changed throughout the summer.”
You mentioned the positives of Alex's character. Has it saddened you how this has played out?
“Yeah, as I said, of course, because I don't think it had to be this way. And it's disappointing that I'm having to sort of discuss it every press conference at length and taking away from, as I said, the football.
“ We've got Liverpool coming up in two days' time, three days' time, 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 sort of blank it all out and focus on the football.
“I think it's been a real credit to the group that they've been able to do that. But it's there in the background and it's working against us. It's not helping us. So, as I said earlier, and I'll continue to say it, it's regrettable that we're in this situation.”
When you have spoken to Alex, has the conversation involved trying to find a resolution?
“Yes, of course, because that's what we want. You know, I say it again, 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. And I say that because he's our player, he's contracted to us. That's a sad situation for us. And yes, of course, when I speak to him, we're trying to find a positive solution all the time.
And how is he?
“As I say, I haven't seen him for, I don't know, about five, six days. But when I last saw him, he was fine. He was good. Normal Alex”
Did Alex tell you two weeks before the end of the season that he wished to leave football?
“Me and Alex had conversations towards the end of the season. Yes, I'm not going to sit here and deny that.”
Did he say he wanted to leave?
“I think those, I've always said individual conversations are better off remaining private, but we had conversations at the end of the season. I have conversations with him near enough every day when he's here at the training ground. So that wouldn't be abnormal. But yes, we had discussions about his future.”
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