Alexander Isak had a good start to life at Newcastle United after his record-breaking move from Real Sociedad. Photo: PA/Owen Humphreys
It's a few weeks ago at the driving range in Truest Park, Atlanta, Alexander Isak picked up a bat and swung it as baseballs flew in his direction. With his Atlanta Braves cap pulled down over his forehead, there were a few swings and misses compared to his teammates who connected the bat to the ball.
When it comes to hitting, there is no such thing. to the Newcastle team. The coaches set up the baseball session as a competition, and Isak ended up in the bottom five, and Sven Botman sent Babe Ruth to the plate.
But there is no doubt that Isak is Newcastle's main player when it comes to their ascension to associate with Premier League heavyweights. The Swedish striker became their £63m record breaking player, arriving almost exactly a year ago and putting aside initial injury disappointment to show why Eddie Howe has invested heavily.
In the opening weekend of the season, he was selected forward. Callum Wilson and scored two goals in the lead against Aston Villa. It won't get any easier against Manchester City on Saturday night, but taking on the treble holders is the game that Isak was bought from Real Sociedad for.
Since adolescence, he has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic because of the natural talent he showed growing up in Sweden, the son of Eritrean refugee parents. And his progress has seen him once agree terms with Real Madrid, eventually joining Borussia Dortmund, but after moving last summer he ended up in the role of Galactico at Tyneside.
An injury hampered his progress last season after his explosive start against Liverpool when he scored a goal and was suspended once again. It was a hip problem that limited his action, but his scoring was still good with 17 starts and 10 goals. He thinks he could benefit from a pre-season with Howe's team this season after being distracted by a Premier League transfer just around the corner last summer.
Isak scored twice in a 5-1 win against Aston Villa that Newcastle defeated on the opening weekend of the season. Photo: Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
As he discovered at Atalanta, a pre-season at Newcastle provides a competitive edge, even when it comes to baseball. “Employees have created this competitive environment where everything we do is competitive,” he said. “It helps us in games too, we are in that kind of environment in training, everything we do we do something like a competition that is also fun and rewarding.”
At Howe's team, the competition is between Isak and Wilson for the No. 9 role in the team, with the Newcastle boss admitting he was upset by his decision last week. They've only started four games together and when it comes to rebounding, it feels like it's one or the other, even if Isak prides himself on playing through the attacking line.
His assist at Goodison Park last season showed he could start far as he danced around the entire Everton defence, before setting up Jacob Murphy. It was a dribbling that his hero, Thierry Henry, would be proud of.
Isak saw the end of Henry's career when he grew up in Stockholm County, where he had been with AIK since the age of six. When he made his debut at 16 years old, comparisons began to Zlatan, although his path to the Premier League was a circuitous one. He could have joined Real Madrid but went to Dortmund instead.
While the Westfalenstadion is usually the perfect place to develop young players, Isak found himself caught up in a power struggle involving manager Thomas Tuchel. He struggled to settle down and it was at Real Sociedad that he showed interest in clubs that wanted to invest heavily in the striker. jpg» /> It was at Real Sociedad that Isac began to flourish. Photo: Getty Images/Ion Alcoba
Arsenal showed strong interest, but it was Newcastle who took the step last season, thanks in no small part to Dan Ashworth, who sold the club's vision to its new owners in Saudi Arabia, a signal of intent from Newcastle, but at the same time they were under pressure.
“I think he handled the move very well, especially since he got injured early and it was a very frustrating period. for him,” Howe said.
“Sometimes the price tag can be heavy, but I don’t feel that way about Alex – he handled everything calmly. He's playing very well and he's had a great pre-season so I hope he has a great season.»
He won the love of the Newcastle fans, aided by his inarticulate dribbling at Goodison. and the way he led the line against Villa last weekend. The pundits analyzed Sandro Tonali's «head pass» when Isak pinned Tyrone Mings, allowing his teammate to score. Tonali made headlines on his debut, but Isak's goals were just as important.
Last season, Isak used Geordie's phrase «gan hyem», which translates to «go home». It's a phrase with Scandinavian roots, as is Newcastle's record signing, whose goals, as well as the turn of phrase, made him a favourite.
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