‘The ultimate mould to build a perfect striker’ – how good is Newcastle’s Alexander Isak?

Chris Bevan

BBC Sport journalist

The dreams are flowing again for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, but would possibly perhaps well the Magpies soon face a strive against to take care of him at St James’ Park?

The 25-year-aged Sweden forward scored for the fourth time in four video games to abet his aspect strive against succor to beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 on Sunday, and his all-round repeat impressed faded Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, who was looking forward to BBC MOTD2.

“In the event you talk referring to the mould for the last attach of a top striker, Isak has got all of those substances,” Walcott told BBC Sport.

“I’m now not saying he’s better yet, but he has got the full attributes he needs to turn into top.

“Whether or now not that can happen at Newcastle, I don’t know. Nonetheless they beget to tie him down fairly quickly otherwise they’re going to lose him.

“Isak is the kind of player Arsenal in truth want, but you would teach everybody needs a player esteem him of their team factual now, even Liverpool, and it’s now not radiant Premier League groups who will be attempting to to find reduction of him either.

“Stamp at True Madrid’s line-up at this 2d in time. They skedaddle for these Galacticos and aquire these astonishing talents, but they generally attach them in positions where they will’t rather attain it.

“I’d teach that if you happen to attach Isak in that True team then he moulds them collectively in a selected technique, where you would mediate they now ogle esteem a if fact be told smartly-balanced team.

“That’s the extent he’s at, and I will be able to fully tag why the full very high groups would make a choice him.

“Moreover his all-round forward play, he scores dreams as smartly – every kind of loads of dreams. As I talked about on MOTD2, his stop against Forest when the ball dropped for him within the box was pure class, after the best header he attach away against Arsenal last week.

“There would possibly be more to return from him as smartly. Newcastle are a factual team, but attach him in a greater team and he would to find better too.”

Image supply, Getty Photos

Isak scored 25 dreams for the Magpies last season, but made a slower commence to the unique marketing campaign and scored easiest as soon as in his first seven appearances, ahead of his unique purple patch.

Sunday’s match had been billed as a war of the in-to find strikers, with Forest’s Chris Wood additionally on a blinding scoring urge, but Walcott feels Isak deserves comparisons to more eminent names than the 6ft 3in New Zealand aim man.

“Wood’s role for Forest performs to his strengths, which are occupying the centre-halves as a astronomical reduction-up player, and striking away any probabilities the wingers murder for him within the box,” he explained.

“He’s extraordinarily efficient if you happen to give him that carrier, and he has had a if fact be told factual season, but you can take care of him mute by stopping his supply esteem Newcastle did.

“Isak is map more of an all-rounder, who can reduction up play esteem Wood does, but additionally provides centre-halves assorted complications to mediate. He’s got chase, in addition to a physical presence, plus he’s collected on the ball and his vitality ranges mean he can press as smartly.

“He’s the kind of player who does now not to find bored on the pitch, and that makes him more challenging to discontinue. You to find optimistic players who at cases would possibly perhaps well mediate ‘I’m now not getting the ball and I will be able to’t to find eager’ and they swap off.

“With Isak, he can adapt. He would possibly perhaps well mediate ‘OK, it’s now not working for me as a quantity nine within the within the period in-between’, so he will fall deep to play as a 10, or exit to the flit and Anthony Gordon can reach inner. He is ecstatic in each put on the pitch.

“The potential to rotate positions and have every role in a frontline is section of what makes him a constant risk. As a player he’s one thing fairly unique within the Premier League factual now, and for me he’s the closest thing we have got got viewed to yet any other Thierry Henry.

“Henry started out huge, so he knew that role very smartly, and Isak’s chase and strength formula he’s pretty in those areas too. Nonetheless where Henry was now not in particular immense was alongside with his succor to operate, or heading the ball, and Isak can head it – the top example of that was his winning operate against Arsenal last week.

“I’d teach he’s this skills’s Henry, but with additional attributes within the air. That’s who I’d study him to from my generation, anyway.

“His sport makes him a mixture of Didier Drogba, Michael Owen and Henry – oh and with a flee of Theo Walcott’s chase out huge. That’s now not a imperfect mix at all, is it?”

Isak, who joined Newcastle from True Sociedad for £63m in August 2022, is under contract till 2028 but has reportedly attracted curiosity from golf equipment collectively with Arsenal and Chelsea in unique months.

Walcott feels the Gunners would beget the profit of the vary he brings to Newcastle’s assault, and would prefer to ogle him link up with Martin Odegaard for his aged aspect.

“Centre-halves can turn into rather ecstatic,” Walcott talked about. “They tag now the top strategy to face a entrance-three residing-up, as an illustration if you can beget gotten got your long-established wingers who would possibly perhaps well prefer to decrease inner, after which a quantity nine who needs to help the ball up – and that is the explanation about it.

“What you are attempting to ogle is players who would possibly perhaps well take into memoir the top strategy to ascertain defenders in a selected technique, so they know they will now not gentle down for a 2d.

“Watching Arsenal, they attach now not appear to be one-dimensional but their assaults is incessantly a bit bit predictable at cases.

“Imagine them having the selection of a player esteem Isak who can in truth attain every thing, after which attach Odegaard, as an illustration, within the succor of him.

“Kai Havertz has been honest appropriate at main the road, as much as a diploma, but we’re talking about Arsenal now not easy to receive the league, and they want that subsequent level of player to realize that.

“Isak would possibly perhaps well be it, at any club, but if Arsenal attain make a choice him then they beget to to find in there fast, on memoir of True Madrid, or any individual esteem that, are going reach knocking, and his tag is easiest going to circulate up.”

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