Eddie Howe's impossible task: Newcastle United manager is in massive lose-lose situation ahead of new season - opinion
Conflicting reports abound this morning over what the future holds for Alexander Isak, and to be honest, no matter which way it unfolds, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has got some hard work ahead of him.
Caught Offside are reporting that the PIF have put the blocks on Alexander Isak moving to Liverpool, or indeed anywhere else this summer.
They claim that the PIF have said that the club doesn't need the money, they aren't worried about PSR, and therefore, Isak is going nowhere.
Meanwhile, there are still plenty of reports claiming that the deal will go through, albeit with the caveat that Newcastle acquire a suitable replacement.
No matter how this saga ends, Eddie Howe has a tough job ahead of him
Whatever happens, though, Eddie Howe is going to have a huge morale problem to sort out at the club.
If Isak stays, Howe has to somehow reintegrate the wantaway striker into the squad. He's hardly going to be thrilled about having to stay if he's been dreaming of a move all summer. There are also going to be players who will resent Isak for the way he's gone about things and could give him the cold shoulder, at least for a while.
How Eddie Howe navigates this minefield, we do not know. What we will say though, is that if it comes to pass that Isak stays, he needs to come out and give an honest statement to fans - "My head was turned, but it became clear that the option to leave wasn't realistic and I'm 100% committed to Newcastle United this season", or words to that effect. Being honest is really the only way he's going to win the fans back in my opinion.
Eddie Howe has been repeatedly hung out to dry
On the flip side, if Isak does get his move, the squad are really going to start to question what is going on at the club, if they aren't already. They are being buried under a mountain of broken promises - where's the new training ground? What's happening with this stadium? Where are the signings? While the current squad would never have likely played at the new stadium or trained at the new ground, at least seeing progress on those fronts would reassure them that the project they bought into was real.
Isak forcing a move would also set a dangerous precedent, as other top stars could see that throwing their weight around could get them a dream move.
It's all going to fall on Eddie Howe's shoulders to repair the rifts whichever way it goes, and we don't feel that's entirely fair. We don't disagree with the fans that say Howe is partially to blame for the mess, of course he is, he's the manager.
However, he has been massively let down by those above him at almost every turn. The fact that he's still even here is nothing short of a miracle. We have the best English coach and one of hte best coaches in the world guiding a team of stars and Steve Bruce rejects to cup glory. We are truly blessed to have him, even with his flaws, but surely there's only so much he can take. These upcoming CEO and sporting director appointments have to be hands on from day one and help the manager out, as well as reinstating the communication with the fans, immediately.
Let's get our club back!
