Liverpool fans belted out a cheeky Alexander Isak chant but one thing was clear at the final whistle
Eddie Howe reacts.
Eddie Howe reacts.(Image: Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
As Alexander Isak watched on from home, Newcastle United lost 3-2 to Liverpool with 10 men at St James' Park.
It was always going to be a night of high emotions as the sound levels hit 110 decibels with backing for Eddie Howe and the players cascading down from Level 7 to back short-handed United after Anthony Gordon's red card.
There were no obvious chants against Isak from the terraces which was in keeping with the approach from the Toon Army at Villa Park last week.
In the second city, Newcastle fans had maintained backing for those on the field before expressing their disgust with Isak as the players headed off the field.
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Although, there had been some chants against Isak on the concourses before the game with videos circulating on social media this morning.
In the away section, Liverpool fans chanted "hand him over" as they aimed a dig at their Newcastle counterparts while a round of: "Isak was right the Mags are *****" was also heard at one stage.
After the 3-2 defeat, Howe admitted that Newcastle, like at Villa Park when chances created would have been converted by a natural finisher, went begging, could have done with the Sweden star against the Reds.
He said: "The quality of Alex, I think he'd have made a difference in the two games. There's no denying that. But the team has functioned well in the two games.
"The performance of the players and the team doesn't happen without every part of the team functioning well. You can't carry anyone in this division. Yes, maybe today in that first half, we needed to score when we were on top. Goals change games."
There has now been a standoff between Howe and Isak from either end of the Liverpool preparations with the head coach's response telling when asked if he had spoken to the ex-Real Sociedad man, replying with a simple: "No."
Things look as ominous as they ever have for Isak now with Howe suggesting he has been let down by the £63million man.
Before the game a banner that read "Nothing is achieved alone" captured hearts and minds as well as setting the right tone for the game.
A standing ovation for the players as they left the pitch erupted around St James' Park and as Yasir Al-Rumayyan entered the pitch, anybody who walked into the ground at that precise moment and didn't know the score may have been forgiven for thinking Newcastle had actually won.
That was the strength of Newcastle's performance on the pitch and the level of response it provoked from the Toon faithful.
Usually, Newcastle fans are described as the 12th man; last night, they filled the void as the 11th.
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