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.
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. “His presence is much appreciated from my perspective. He is the owner and he is the most important person in terms of any decisions we make.”
Howe hopes a final decision on whether or not to sell Isak to Liverpool will arrive swiftly. “That would be ideal,” he said. “We want clarity to move forward and to change the narrative. We have given two really good performances [without Isak or a senior striker] and ended up with one point. Alex’s quality would have made a difference in the two games.
“I’ve very mixed feelings tonight. It was a great performance from us. I’m gutted for the players. Everyone had told me Anthony’s card was a clear red but I think he was slightly unlucky. There was no intent to damage [Virgil] van Dijk but he’s probably gone in too quickly. Will Osula came on, scored a goal and did well, but we are running out of attacking options.”
Not that Howe was entirely downcast. “These players make me proud,” he said. “They are entwined into Newcastle, they want to be here and want to play. They are connected to the club in a way that is really deep. That was an incredible place to play football. As a football club I thought we showcased our talents. This isn’t going to be a simple season for us. There is no intentional dig to Alex, but naturally I want players that are committed to Newcastle.”
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. “My main emotion is relief.
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“This means more to me than a 5-0 win. This had nothing to do with tactics. It was a great game to watch but it was a game that was impossible for us to control. The fans were so loud, the atmosphere was unbelievable. I’m not sure it was a football match but we found a way to win.
“It was a great goal for a 16-year-old. Rio can finish so well for his age. I did hear someone say afterwards in the dressing room he would have taken a first touch, but he is so confident. For his age, he is a really good finisher.”
Gordon used social media to say sorry for his red card. “I want to sincerely apologise to my teammates and the fans,” he posted. “My intentions were pure. I was just trying to create energy in the game and I mistimed the tackle.” The England international also apologised to Van Dijk: “I would never intend to tackle somebody like this on purpose. We spoke after and he knows that.”