Alexander Isak asked FFP question when quizzed by media – Shows how damaging


 
 
 
 
 
 

Alexander Isak is on his way back not to Tyneside to prepare for Saturday’s home game against West Ham.

The striker having played full games against Portugal (5-2 defeat) on Thursday and Albania (1-0 win) on Monday.

Whilst on international duty, Alexander Isak quizzed by the media in Sweden.

Journalists wanting to know about his injury issues and how they have affected him, even asking about one media story that he is supposedly going to have major surgery this summer on his groin.

The reality is that whilst he has had off and on issues with injuries this season, Alexander Isak has actually made 30 appearances this season in all competitions for Newcastle United.

Whilst claims that he has been injury prone throughout his career are ludicrous, in 116 La Liga matches for Real Sociedad, Isak was only unavailable for four of them through injury.

Speaking of daft media claims / questions…

Alexander Isak asked by Swedish media whether he could leave St James’ Park in the summer, due to Newcastle United needing to sell one or more star players in order not to break FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules.

It just shows how damaging those Darren Eales comments were back in January.

The comments have been given added spin and became this thing where journalists ignorantly (or on purpose…) misrepresent what Eales said, claiming Newcastle United have to sell players this summer regardless. Whereas reality is that the NUFC CEO was actually saying Newcastle United may at some point sell players, in order to give them far more wriggle room to sign new players, due to the way that FFP (now referred to as PSR – Profit and Sustainability Rules) is constructed, whereby selling a player or players for say £50m, could actually allow you to then at point spend up to £250m more potentially, than would have been the case if not selling anybody.

It is just ignored that straight away Eddie Howe at his next pre-match press conference after those Eales comments, qualified them by saying that Newcastle United may well sell players in various transfer windows in order to give them more headroom to bring in others, BUT not necessarily star players. This ‘churning’ (selling players in order to allow you spend more on new signings) is what pretty much every club does and indeed what NUFC have already done. In January 2023 Eddie Howe having to agree to let Wood and Shelvey go in order so he could bring in Gordon, then summer 2023, Howe stated that ASM had been sold in order to help give Newcastle United the flexibility to bring in Barnes, Tonali and Livramento.

There was no need for Darren Eales to make those comments at all in January, mentioning hypothetically selling any player in order to then be able to sign others.

I don’t see what positives it brought giving the media that kind of stuff because Eales must have surely known that the media would seize on them. It certainly hasn’t helped Newcastle’s top players, having invented transfer stories published that are purely based on Eales’ comments and twisted, then as is the case with Alexander Isak on this occasion, getting asked daft questions by the media, once again based on the Eales comments that have been spun.

Alexander Isak speaking to media in Sweden:

Alexander Isak asked whether he could leave St James’ Park in the summer, due to Newcastle United (supposedly!!!) needing to sell one or more star players in order not to break FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules:

“It (transfer speculation0 doesn’t affect me that much.

“It has been talked about many times, in many windows.

“I see it as just such a thing.

“Everyone knows that summer is coming and if things show up (clubs making bids for players at other clubs), things can happen, but I actually haven’t even thought about it.”

Injury problems this season?

“It has been difficult because it has been difficult to get into your flow.

“Or when you have just done it (get into your flow), you have had a setback.

“It’s almost a little nicer to know that you’re away for a longer time (with one injury absence).

“You do your rehab, then you injure yourself again.

“It has been a bit difficult but now (more recently) I have been healthy and have felt good, hopefully I can stay healthy too.”

What type of injury problems this season?

“Problems with my groin.

“It has been a bit recurring.

“The situation with the team does not help with the (non-)availability of players either.

“Many times I have come back from an injury and have had to play three games in a week, some 90 minutes, it is not optimal.

“But at the same time we have had important matches.

“Actually, they (injuries) are part of football. 

“Sometimes you are unlucky.

“That’s what I feel, I’ve been a bit unlucky.”

Alexander Isak asked about media claims he is going to have major surgery on his groin this summer.

“It was a strange rumour.

“I don’t remember who it came from but there was no person trustworthy enough to say such a thing.

“That’s not true.”