Eddie Howe's plan for Alexander Isak - and the question that has now been answered
EDDIE HOWE was always confident Alexander Isak would be a huge success in the Premier League – and is looking to “refine” the Newcastle United striker’s game to make him even more effective.
Isak joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2022 for a then club-record fee of £63m.
At the time, while the Sweden international had shown signs of real promise in La Liga and the Dutch Eredivisie, where he played on loan at Willem II from Borussia Dortmund, he had yet to firmly establish himself as one of Europe’s leading forwards.
He has done that during his time on Tyneside, and while Howe accepts spending big money on any new signing always comes with an element of risk attached, the Magpies boss always felt Isak had what was needed to succeed in the English top-flight.
“I don’t think he’s surprised me because I really believed,” said the Magpies boss. “We wouldn’t have committed the fee that we did to the transfer if we didn’t believe that he could play and do well straight away.
“For that sum of money, I don’t think you’re looking at a development player, you’re looking at a player that you feel can come in straight away and hit the ground running. He’s done that, and he deserves a lot of credit for it because it’s not an easy thing to do, to transfer leagues in the way that he has.
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“I just hope it’s the start for him. He’s had a brilliant couple of seasons for us, and it looks like he’s hitting his best rhythm now. He’s such a valuable player for us. I think all the players look to him to help us in the creative side of the game, and he’s delivering at the moment.”
It is the all-round strength of Isak’s game that makes him really stand out, with the 25-year-old having developed into a forward capable of ticking every box.
He is technically superb, and therefore adept at linking play and bringing other players into the game, but has the goalscoring instincts of a natural ‘number nine’ and is an excellent finisher.
He is deceptively strong, good in the air, and has worked diligently to improve his effectiveness out of possession, to the point where is now the player who will willingly lead Newcastle’s press. Little wonder that most of Europe’s top sides are coveting him, with Arsenal repeatedly linked with a £100m-plus move.
“We looked at his game in depth, as I do with every signing because you have to have a vision of where they’re going to fit into the team and how they’re going to enhance our style of play,” continued Howe.
“I think with Alex, I felt his all-round game was very strong, so he could a bit of everything, as you’ve seen him do for us, dropping deep to link play, being a creative link between our midfield and attack, but also bring those standout qualities individually, where he can make something happen out of nothing.
“He had that one season where he scored a large amount of goals in La Liga at such a young age, and that isn’t easy to do. I felt he had the goalscoring prowess to deliver that into the Premier League, albeit there’s always a slight question mark because until you see it delivered in the Premier League, with the physicality of this league, you never quite know how it transfers.
“That’s where I have to give him a huge compliment because I think he’s made that step from the various leagues that he’s been in to come to the Premier League. I think he’s done really well. He’s taken everything in his stride.”
Not, however, that Howe would describe the Swede as the finished article. The Newcastle boss still sees areas where Isak can improve, although that will mean minor tweaks here and there rather than any wholesale changes to how he currently plays.
“I think it’s just about refining,” he said. “I don’t think it’s about changing his game. His game is very, very strong in almost every department, I don’t see a weakness in his game. But I think it’s refinement.
“It’s shaving off the edges and trying to improve in the small areas he can. I’m a big believer in player development and the evolution of a player’s game. You can never be the same player for two seasons in a row, you have to find different ways to hurt the opponent because with the analysis now, teams find ways to try to deal with certain problems that you give them.
“For Alex, that will be a constant thing that has to be in his game. But I think it is, and he’s got that unpredictability that makes him difficult to play against.”
