Alexander Isak Faces Hostile Reception on Liverpool Return
Alexander Isak hadn’t even reached the main doors of St James’ Park before the welcome committee made itself heard.
The Liverpool striker, back on Tyneside for the first time since his stormy £125million switch to Anfield last September, was met with a wall of noise and a single, venomous chant from the home support as he darted from the team coach into the stadium. “Rat” rang out from the waiting Newcastle fans, a soundtrack to every hurried step.
It didn’t stop there. During the warm-up, every appearance near the touchline drew another round of jeers. When he turned to head back down the tunnel, the boos followed him, and Isak could only offer a thin, knowing smile.
So when Liverpool named him in the starting XI, it almost felt like a challenge thrown straight back at the stands. For 45 minutes, the game within the game played out between Isak and the Gallowgate End. Every touch was howled at. Every movement tracked. The soundtrack was relentless and unprintable.
The cheers finally came, but not for him. When referee Stuart Attwell waved away what looked like a foul on Isak, leaving the forward furious on the turf, the home crowd roared their approval. It was one of the few times he was actually involved in the first half.
On the pitch, he drifted further and further from the action. Liverpool never quite found their attacking rhythm, and Isak became a lonely figure up front, starved of meaningful service and feeding off scraps.
After the interval, his big moment arrived. Cody Gakpo rolled the ball into his path, space opened up, and this was the chance the away end had waited for. Instead, his shot ballooned over, and the reaction from the Newcastle supporters was instant and merciless.
If getting Isak firing is central to Andoni Iraola’s plans this season, this was a stark reminder of the problems Arne Slot faced before him. Injuries disrupted last year, but even when Isak was available, Liverpool rarely found a way to truly unlock their record signing.
Florian Wirtz is supposed to be the man to change that, the creative conduit between midfield and attack. On this evidence, there is work to do. The Germany international ran, pressed and chased, but his influence never really took hold. By the time he was substituted midway through the second half, his performance had promised more than it delivered.
One small step forward for Isak: he stayed on for the full 90 minutes for the first time in a Liverpool shirt. He was still there when Dominik Szoboszlai buried a dramatic late penalty to drag the visitors level and salvage something from a bruising afternoon.
The final whistle didn’t bring any mercy. As Isak finally walked off the pitch, the remaining Newcastle fans made sure his exit sounded much like his entrance.
This was not the return he wanted, nor the statement Liverpool had hoped for from their £125m man. For club and player alike, the real work of turning potential into production starts now.
