sport news Newcastle and Howe must start getting a tune out of Alexander Isak trends now
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There is frustration on Tyneside, but only because expectation has escalated. Understandably so, given the money spent and the fine job Eddie Howe has done since January.
But now Newcastle are being met with fresh challenges, simultaneously having to learn how to break down opponents set up to contain, while also working out a way to get the best from £60million Alexander Isak. The answer to the latter could well provide the solution to the former.
The record books state that club-record signing Isak has scored two in three since arriving from Real Sociedad, but all of the talk at St James' Park on Saturday — and two weeks prior following a home stalemate with Crystal Palace — was of an isolated figure not yet in tune with his team-mates.
Alexander Isak has cut an increasingly isolated figure for Newcastle in his appearances so far
There is a feeling his qualities, at least for now, will be better suited to playing away from home, as witnessed during his debut at Liverpool when twice stealing clear of the backline before finishing superbly. A marginal offside denied him the second of those goals.
Isak was bought to make the difference in games such as this against Bournemouth, whose low block and rigid structure were a mark of respect but also a new headache for Howe.
And while his new Swedish striker earned a point with a well-taken penalty, it was the sole occasion in which he had space in the box. Little wonder he grabbed the ball after a VAR check spotted Jefferson Lerma's handball. Howe acknowledges the need to work with the young striker.
Eddie Howe must find a way to get a tune out of his new Swedish forward to achieve success
'He's learning, and not just how the team plays, but also how his team-mates play,' said the head coach, whose side had 73 per cent possession and 20 shots.
'Again, there were flashes from him, but I don't think, as a
