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Alexander Isak continues to cast an unwanted shadow over Newcastle's campaign.
Two-and-a-half months after his acrimonious exit from St. James' Park to Liverpool in a transfer that sent shockwaves across European soccer, Newcastle is still experiencing the aftershocks. Newcastle pocketed a British record transfer fee for Isak and secured two strikers of its own in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
The latter remains working towards full fitness following a knee injury sustained days after his arrival, while Woltemade made an impressive start with four goals in his opening six appearances before encountering difficulties in recent matches. His decline in form has mirrored an overall downturn from the Magpies following a promising beginning to the campaign.
Eddie Howe's players are enduring a difficult spell after three consecutive away losses, including a disappointing display at Brentford last Sunday.
The energy and drive of the team appear to be absent, and former Premier League champion Emmanuel Petit has attributed this, partly, to the lingering impact of Isak's departure on the remaining squad.
Petit, who also claimed the World Cup with France, believes the consequences of the striker's exit, considering his standing within the group, has contributed to undermining the remaining players' mindset and self-belief.
"Newcastle United have done great things in the Premier League for the last couple of years, but this year, they maybe haven’t hit the standards that we have been used to," he told Jeffbet.
"I think the Alexander Isak story has had an impact on the squad.
"If I'm a Newcastle player seeing one of the best players leave, I'm disappointed.
"Yoane Wissa has been injured, and Nick Woltemade has a tough path to follow in trying to replace Isak, so you can't expect him to do everything right away.
"Isak has left a big gap with his departure from the club."
Since leaving Tyneside, Isak's own form has faltered. He has only managed 253 Premier League minutes out of the 720 played by Liverpool since joining in early September.
His latest outing for his new team was a 45-minute spell against Eintracht Frankfurt on 22 October, where he picked up a groin injury.
He is currently on international duty with Sweden, alongside former Newcastle teammate Anthony Elanga.
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