Guardian

Howe says he wants ‘players who are committed to Newcastle’ after defeat by Liverpool

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View image in fullscreenHowe says he wants ‘players who are committed to Newcastle’ after defeat by Liverpool

Newcastle owners met with on-strike Alexander Isak

Manager wants ‘clarity’ quickly over forward’s future

Eddie Howe said he was investing all his energy in players “who want to play for Newcastle” after his side were sent to a stunning defeat by the 16-year-old substitute Rio Ngumoha’s ­100th-minute winner for Liverpool.



Howe, whose 10-man team had fought back to level at 2-2 after Anthony Gordon’s first-half red card, claimed to be unaware of a last-ditch bid by the club’s owners to persuade Alexander Isak to abandon his one-man strike.

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The Sweden striker, currently trying to force a move to Liverpool and training separately from his teammates, was not at St James’ Park to see an extraordinary game unfold, but earlier in the day the minority club owner Jamie Reuben had led an attempt to change Isak’s mind when he met with the striker in Northumberland.

“I am not aware of a meeting with the owners but I have not been party to talks [about Isak’s future] for a long time,” Newcastle’s manager said.

“I have been preparing the team, giving my energy to players who want to play for Newcastle.

I have no idea where things [regarding Isak] stand.”

Yasir al-Rumayyan, Newcastle’s chair, made a rare visit to St James’ Park along with fellow members of the majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

“I don’t know why he [al-Rumayyan] is here,” Howe said.

“They are entwined into Newcastle, they want to be here and want to play.

There is no intentional dig to Alex, but naturally I want players that are committed to Newcastle.”

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His Liverpool counterpart played a straight bat when it came to Isak.

“This is not the moment or the place to talk about that,” said Arne Slot before joining his players as they headed to Newcastle airport and their return flight to Merseyside.

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