A sense of alienation has deepened in Newcastle United this summer. The sense of being othered, the sense of being discriminated against, of being laughed at by men seated at mahogany tables embossed with the words ‘Red Cartel’, has been crystallised by Alexander Isak’s desperation to abandon the club at all costs.
Isak’s suitors, the Premier League champions, walked out at St James’s Park just before 8pm and just before the theme to Local Hero began to play. The first thing Liverpool saw was a plea to the Newcastle players from their fans, a plea that was more of a demand.