Urawa Red Diamonds 1 Newcastle 4: Has Isak got even better and ...

Newcastle’s pre-season trip to Japan got underway with a 4-1 win against Urawa Red Diamonds.

The impressive Alexander Isak opened the scoring after only three minutes with a shot from distance. The hosts equalised midway through the half and Nick Pope saved a penalty before Jacob Murphy scored either side of the break to give Newcastle a two-goal lead. Lewis Hall added a fourth just before the hour to cap a decent evening’s work for Eddie Howe’s travelling side.

Here, George Caulkin answers some of the key questions from the game in Saitama.

Can Alexander Isak get even better?

What does better even look like for a superlative forward who was already good enough to have scored 25 goals in all competitions for Newcastle last season? The prospect is heady and the omens are promising.

In a different world, Isak could and should have been tearing it up at the European Championship this summer. He is made for that stage, but Sweden did not qualify and the 24-year-old was instead given a rare opportunity to relax and recuperate. How precious that might prove for Newcastle.

Alex Isak scores goals. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/undYCgmji6

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 31, 2024

Isak is always a danger. He has the talent to change any game. In the past, the only questions surrounding his output have been consistency, his physical rigour and doing the mucky stuff. “Do you know what he needs? He needs more tap-ins,” Howe told The Athletic’s Alan Shearer a few months ago. “That’s the big thing for Alex, the ugly goals. He does the beautiful ones.”

Isak would have challenged for 30 goals last time without his injuries, but he has come back this summer looking robust (touch wood), fierce and full of running. He has scored three goals in pre-season and looks on a different level to his team-mates in terms of sharpness.

There was a touch of what Howe was asking for in Newcastle’s opener, which came in the second minute. Isak powered through the middle, changed direction, hung onto the ball too long, won it back and then shot low from long-range. It was too languid to be ugly, but there was a toughness there. There was more of it; screaming for the ball, running into positions, finding space.

The Saitama Stadium was not full, but Isak’s name was the only one cheered by both sets of supporters before kick-off. He is a star.

How do you deal with an earthquake?

The earth moved for Newcastle, which is less a reflection of the way they played against Urawa Reds — sexy football would probably be pushing it, the score notwithstanding — than an indication of how their trip to Japan has tested them in ways they could not have anticipated.

The heat they knew about, the jet lag was predictable — a sleep specialist gave a briefing to Howe’s squad before their departure from Tyneside — the torrential rain that hammered down on Saitama before kick-off was at least vaguely recognisable, but the earthquake that had woken players and staff in the early hours was a new one.

The 2am tremor, which measured 4.6 on the Richter scale, was more a cause of confusion than concern — some of the travelling party, including Eddie Howe, slept blithely through it — but was enough to provoke some disorientation, a few bleary faces when the players met for breakfast a few hours later, and some lively discussion.

This is what pre-season is all about, though; experiences that offer a challenge and encourage togetherness amid conditions that will fine-tune fitness for the season to come. In Tokyo, they have had it all, the most salient being the kind of humidity that saps the legs.

Intensity was never likely to be Newcastle’s identity here. In temperatures that touched 30C (86F) and humidity that reached 90 per cent, their identity was reduced to not keeling over and using regular intervals to take on water. There was still something to be learned from a day that was less groundbreaking than ground-shaking. They powered on through.

Newcastle United. Followed all over the world.

⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/cuVKhJup54

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 31, 2024

Is Jacob Murphy’s fast start a reaction to transfer rumours? 

Everybody knows Newcastle are trying to sign a right-winger this summer, which presumably means Jacob Murphy must know it, too. All things considered, he doesn’t appear to be particularly enamoured by the possibility. What Murphy does appear to be is mad as hell.

At a moment when Newcastle were struggling for rhythm and being pushed back by Urawa — who had a penalty saved brilliantly by Nick Pope — Murphy made the score 2-1, taking a touch after Joe Willock’s pass and shooting well. A couple of minutes after half-time, he made it 3-1. That makes it four goals in four games (that we know about; they also played Burnley behind closed doors).

This will not stop Howe and Paul Mitchell, the new sporting director — who travelled to Tokyo with the squad — from seeking an upgrade in Murphy’s position, but one of Newcastle’s most underappreciated players will not go quietly. This kind of attitude has been one of the club’s great strengths over the past couple of years.

Are there signs that Newcastle are getting closer to a breakthrough in the market? There have been rumblings of it, with Howe (grudgingly) admitting his admiration for AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw this week. A right-sided centre-half is another priority.

There is also a balance to be struck, with more players needing to be moved on so that there is no repeat of Newcastle’s desperate struggle to avoid breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) in June.

What did Eddie Howe say?

The Newcastle manager was pleased with the workout his side received in Saitama. “It was a good game, really good conditions for us to improve our fitness levels. A very hot and humid day. By kick off, it was a little bit cooler for the players which certainly helped us. Lots to improve on but fundamentally a really good attitude kind of display by the players.”

Howe singled out Alexander Isak for praise: “I thought he was very good tonight. He is electric, he looks like he’s hungry for goals and of course I think his game can go up and I think there are areas for him to improve. We’ll always find those percentages to try and add to his game. We work continuously with him, in partnership with him really.

“We’ve got a really good relationship with him and we’re trying to find new ways to score more goals or help the team in different ways. So really pleased with his application today.”

Howe also touched on the club’s progress in the transfer market, although he was not keen to discuss how it might affect players already at the club. “I never like to discuss positions because I don’t think it’s right for the players that you have that are fighting for those positions but of course we’re taking a look at the squad, we’re analysing every player and every position and we’ll try and strengthen the squad by the time the window shuts.”

Asked if a transfer was near, Howe replied “I hope so. But I’ve got no idea how close things are. We’re working hard to try and make that happen.”

What next for Newcastle?

Saturday, August 3: Yokohama F Marinos, 1pm BST, 8am ET (9pm local time)

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(Top photo: Getty Images)

George Caulkin has been reporting on football in the North East of England since 1994, 21 of those years for The Times. There have been a few ups, a multitude of downs and precisely one meaningful trophy. Follow George on Twitter @GeorgeCaulkin