After one of the greatest seasons in their illustrious history, Alan Shearer has only one word to summarize the summer of Newcastle: “terrible”.
But the tone -legend believes that if they can replace Wilaway Alexander Isak with two new strikers, Eddie Howe can lead the club to more European football next season.
Boss Howe is a disastrous hand to prepare for a new Premier League season, one that most rival clubs thank their happy stars that have avoided so far.
The Swedish superstar Isak has done everything possible to get rid of the Tyneside chains for the fierce lights of Liverpool this summer: going in strike, Newcastle accusing “Breaking Promises” on social media.
And in a secret meeting with the board before their thriller of a 3-2 defeat against Arne Slot's Reds on Monday evening, he confirmed his position to want to go out, regardless of his price tag of £ 150 million and a contract that has three long years to run.
In the meantime, their attempts to replace him have become crushing, including Hugo Ekitike, who made it 2-0 to Liverpool before Newcastle aroused for an iconic comeback that was ruined by the 16-year-old winner of Rio Ngumoha.
Whatever happens, it seems to be a loss loss for Newcastle and how-a crazy explanation after achieving Champions League football and ending their 70-year waiting time for a trophy previous term.
If they keep it up and keep Isak, there is no guarantee that he will be welcomed in the dressing room again, let alone play in the black -white stripes again without taking pelters from his own fans.
If they were allowed to sell it, it leaves them little time before the window closes on Monday evening to strengthen their attack, currently in conversation with the Jorgen Strand Larsen of Nab Wolves and Yoane Wissa van Brentford.
Sat crossed legs on a chair in a studio in East London, Shearer is worn in a thoughtful mood, one of the many fans in Newcastle worn by the messy transfersagas.
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But he tries to stay optimistic. Asked if the performance of Monday is his life after Isak, Shearer dived back: “He has not disappeared yet, right?”
Hope is still there, but it is also the hope that you kill. He explained to Sunsport: “It has been a terrible summer for Newcastle for many reasons.
“They have missed so many top goals. Eddie Howe has had to tolerate the interrogation of Isak every day for every game that is not useful.
“We all hoped it would be a summer to start.
“But it isn't. It has been a disappointing one. We will have to wait until Tuesday morning to see if that has put them back or not.
“They need two players to replace Isak. They were quite light with Isak and Callum Wilson last year. The chance that that will happen? I don't know. They tried to do that the past three or four weeks.
“If the worst happens and they lose Isak, but they can get two, then I still believe they have enough to get in and around the top six.
“But if you've been to football long enough, you know that one constant is the football club. Players move, fans pass, you continue, you shift further.
“It must always be bigger than anything else. Whatever happens, whether Isak is going or not, Newcastle United will survive. That is the big picture.
“But you need a large team to play like Newcastle in different competitions. The larger teams process it better because of the finances behind them.”
Another constant has been the impeccable howhe – a calming voice but assertive figure at the top of a club that is still without sports director and chief executive.
Spring on behalf of Betfair added Shearer: “You have to feel sorry for Eddie. Due to no debt he has to deal with problems that don't come often.
“But as he will tell you, he just has to find solutions, as heavy as they are.
“Because of what he has achieved in Newcastle, people will understand whether things will not plan this season and understand what a difficult time it actually has been.
“And with Eddie's male management skills, I would support him to reintegrate Isak if he stays, but that's a big like. It's just a very messy situation that everyone could have done without.”
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