Paul Merson suggested that Alexander Isak looked a little bit lost when he came on for Newcastle United in their clash with AC Milan on Wednesday.
Alexander Isak was brought on as the Magpies chased a crucial winning goal in the final game of their Champions League group-stage campaign.
Newcastle knew that a win would be enough to advance if Paris Saint-Germain did not defeat Borussia Dortmund. And, with Dortmund contributing, everything appeared to be going well for the Magpies, with Joelinton scoring a superb first-half goal.
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Paul Merson thought Alexander Isak looked lost when he came on for Newcastle
However, after Milan equalized shortly before the hour mark, Howe decided to abandon prudence. However, on Soccer Special (13/12; 22:02), Paul Merson stated that Newcastle lost control of the game, with the introduction of the Swede shortly after failing to pay off.
“I just thought he put Isak on the left when it got into a gung-ho game.” To be honest, I thought he was a little bewildered on the left. And they may have scored another one or two goals in the end,” he told Soccer Special.
Of course, Milan would make the scoreline 2-1 late on as Newcastle pushed for that vital winner. And with that, the Magpies were knocked out of Europe altogether.
Magpies had little left in the tank
Obviously, that is a huge disappointment given what an incredible achievement it was for Howe’s side to finish in the top four last season.
However, considering their circumstances this season, failure to qualify for the Europa League is not a catastrophe. Because of the number of injuries this season, Howe was only able to name seven substitutes against the Rossoneri. Two of those replacements were goalkeepers.
You’d think that some of those that appeared last night weren’t in peak condition. They’ve been playing a lot of games lately. And their recent form indicates that it is catching up with them.
Isak has two goals in his last eight games across all competitions. And, given his inability to have an effect in yesterday’s game, he appears to be one of those who has found this current run particularly difficult.
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