Alexander Isak Faces Hostility on Liverpool Return to St James’ Park

Alexander Isak hadn’t even reached the main doors at St James’ Park before the hostility hit him.

The Liverpool striker, back on Tyneside for the first time since his stormy £125million switch to Anfield last September, stepped off the team coach and straight into a wall of noise. “Rat” rang out from the home fans massed outside, a pointed welcome for the man they once adored.

The soundtrack didn’t soften once he got inside. During the warm-up the jeers followed him, every stretch and sprint met with abuse. Isak offered only a thin, knowing smile as the boos poured down when he disappeared back into the tunnel.

So when his name appeared in Liverpool’s starting XI, it felt almost provocative. On the terraces, the first half became a running battle between Isak and the stands. Every touch? Howled at. Every miscontrol? Roared with delight. The chants turned the air blue.

Ironically, one of the few moments the crowd briefly switched tone came when referee Stuart Attwell waved away what looked a clear foul on the Swede. Isak lay furious on the turf, Newcastle supporters cheering the non-decision as much as the challenge itself.

That incident underlined how little he saw of the ball before the break. Liverpool never found any rhythm in attack, and Isak grew more and more detached from the game, starved of service and stranded between black-and-white shirts.

After half-time, the chance he had been waiting for finally arrived. Cody Gakpo slipped him in, space opening up, the goal in sight. Isak leaned back and sent his effort sailing high, the ball disappearing into the night and the home crowd erupting with predictable glee.

For new head coach Andoni Iraola, the task is obvious. Unlocking Isak is central to Liverpool’s plans this season. This bruising return to his old home served as a sharp reminder of how Arne Slot, not helped by the striker’s long injury absences, never truly managed it.

Florian Wirtz is supposed to be the man feeding him. The main supply line. Here, though, the Germany international ran hard but rarely hurt Newcastle, his influence fading before he was withdrawn midway through the second half. For Liverpool, that will be a concern.

One small step forward for Isak: he finished the game. For the first time in a Liverpool shirt, he lasted the full 90 minutes, still on the pitch when Dominik Szoboszlai buried a late penalty to snatch a dramatic equaliser.

The final whistle brought no reprieve. As Isak walked off, the remaining Newcastle fans unloaded one last volley of abuse, determined to let him know exactly what they thought of his return.

This was not the statement performance he or Liverpool had imagined to open the campaign. The real question now is how quickly the club can turn their record signing from lightning rod into match-winner.