Liverpool fans will have seen the tweets by now. Like clockwork, after every Alexander Isak performance, the Newcastle supporters converge.
Toon fans have been badly hurt by the way the Swede orchestrated a move away from their club this summer.
On the face of it, that is absolutely fine. No supporter is going to be happy to cheer on a player who so clearly does not want to be there.
Celebrating every bad touch or goalless showing from their former player is perhaps the only way fans can ease the pain of a painful departure. Liverpool fans have even done the same with Trent Alexander-Arnold at times this season.
But enough is now enough. Isak is a Liverpool player, and is looking forward to a long and successful career at Anfield.
Newcastle have their replacement – one who has enjoyed a good start to life at St James’ Park no less – and it is time for them to stop their agenda and get on with their lives.
Newcastle fans are completely wrong about Alexander Isak
It is not only that Newcastle fans seem determined to comment on Isak every time he takes to the pitch, they are also desperate to spin a narrative that the 26-year-old is somehow an unmitigated failure.
This has also infected the journalists of the North East. As Scott Wilson of the Northern Echo was bizarrely keen to assert after Sweden’s defeat against Switzerland on Friday, Isak is seemingly the one reason his country have failed to win any of their first three World Cup qualifiers.
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“Wonder how the Swedes feel about Isak’s decision to go on strike and massively reduce his ability to positively affect the last four matches. Bottom of their group. Still, he got what he wanted…” wrote Wilson.
Despite Sweden fans pointing out that they are in fact absolutely fine with Isak pushing through a move to Liverpool and are more concerned by the management of Jon Dahl Tomasson, Wilson and others like him continue to proclaim a moral victory.
Others made more baseless claims, with former TNT Sports journalist Joel Bland proclaiming that not only are Liverpool fans turning on Isak, they are blaming Newcastle in the process.
“Some LFC fans have came to the conclusion that Isak’s poor form is completely NUFC’s fault. Happy Saturday folks, drink it in,” Bland wrote.
Isak has not done his £120m price tag justice by any means since arriving at Liverpool, but you’d be hard pushed to find a supporter who thinks he is playing especially poorly, or are overly concerned about his early form in red. After all, Liverpool signed the No. 9 for six years, not six weeks.
Isak will still be a success at Liverpool
It is easy to understand where Newcastle fans are coming from in their delight over Isak’s lack of output.
The Sweden international led them to Carabao Cup glory last season and was the toast of the fanbase. To let them down so spectacularly this summer was not something they saw coming.
However, the past is now the past, and while Newcastle supporters do not have to get behind Isak in any way, shape or form, it is time to put the tired and untruthful narratives to rest.
Isak will doubtless still be a superb signing for Liverpool. Once he gets his feet under him these same detractors are going to start looking especially silly.
Until then, they will perhaps continue to bash the British record transfer holder, but they should be warned that for every disparaging tweet they send, Isak’s renaissance is going to hit them even harder.
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