It was never him. Those outside may have thought it was him, and he might himself have thought it was him. Alexander Isak was appreciated, inspired awe as he became close to the Premier League’s greatest striker, and was even loved, as the celebratory chant hailing their striker from Sweden – to the tune of Abba’s Gimme Gimme Gimme – rang around pubs and playgrounds alike.
Yet he was never quite The One. As St James’ Park cheered in response to the home lineup being read out over the speakers, nobody received the roar that Bruno Guimarães did. Even after a late, dramatic defeat to the Liverpool that have spent this summer as the Geordies’ bogeyman, threatening to take Isak away, that tumult will endure.
