Alexander Isak Faces Hostile Reception on Liverpool Return

Alexander Isak hadn’t even reached the glass doors of St James’ Park before the verdict came down.

The Liverpool striker, back on Tyneside for the first time since his £125million switch to Anfield last September, stepped off the team coach and straight into a wall of noise. Newcastle United fans lined the approach, hurling chants of “rat” as he hurried inside, a short dash that felt a lot longer under that kind of scrutiny.

It didn’t stop there. During the warm-up, every movement drew jeers, every stretch and sprint met with hostility. As he headed back down the tunnel before kick-off, the boos followed him. Isak allowed himself a wry smile. He knew this was coming.

If there was any doubt about the mood, Liverpool’s decision to start him felt like a deliberate challenge to the home crowd. In the stands, the first half became a running soundtrack of X-rated songs, with every touch from their former hero met by piercing catcalls.

On the rare occasions he did see the ball, the reaction flipped. When referee Stuart Attwell waved play on after what looked like a foul on Isak, the striker lay furious on the turf while the home support roared their approval. That moment summed up his opening 45 minutes: isolated, frustrated, and starved of service as Liverpool struggled badly to find any attacking rhythm.

The pattern didn’t change much after the break. When Cody Gakpo finally rolled a presentable chance into his path, Isak leaned back and ballooned his effort, prompting exactly the kind of gleeful response the Gallowgate End had been waiting for.

Unlocking Isak is central to what new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola wants this season. This was a sharp reminder of how Arne Slot, albeit hampered by the Swede’s injuries, never really managed it last term. The club’s record signing still looks like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

Florian Wirtz is supposed to be the man feeding him. The German playmaker ran, pressed and showed for the ball, but his influence never truly bit. He flattered to deceive and was withdrawn midway through the second half, another key cog still not quite meshing.

One small step forward for Isak: he finished the 90 minutes for the first time in a Liverpool shirt. He was still out there when Dominik Szoboszlai thumped home a late penalty to snatch a dramatic equaliser, a moment that briefly drowned out everything else.

At full-time, as he finally walked off the pitch, the abuse rained down again from those who had stayed to the end. No handshake or whistle was going to soften this reunion.

This was not the return Isak wanted, nor the statement Liverpool had hoped to make with their record buy. The hostility will fade. The questions about how to get him firing will not.