What Newcastle United learned from their friendly defeat to Celtic

Goals from Arne Engels, Johnny Kenny, Hyunjan Yang and Liam Scales condemned Eddie Howe’s side to defeat in Glasgow, with the Magpies now set to head off to the Far East for matches in Singapore and South Korea.

What were the main talking points to emerge from Newcastle’s loss?

ISAK’S ABSENCE

What is going on with Alexander Isak? If the situation surrounding Newcastle’s star striker was murky enough ahead of the weekend, it felt even more confusing by Saturday night.

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak (Image: PA) The official line is that, along with Joelinton, Isak was deemed not fit enough to feature at Celtic, so once that mutual decision had been made, Eddie Howe instructed Isak to return to Tyneside rather than sit in the stands at Parkhead. “The last thing Alex wants if he is not playing is to be sat in the stand, being under that scrutiny,” said Howe. “I don’t that’s fair to the player.”

Surely, though, Howe must have known that Isak’s absence would lead to even more speculation over his future. Does the Swede want to remain with Newcastle? Is there a contract offer on the table? Have there been talks with Liverpool? Is the rumoured interest from Al-Hilal genuine?

All Howe would say is that he remains “confident” Isak will still be a Newcastle player come the end of the transfer window, with things becoming even more complicated late last night when it was reported that Liverpool are on the verge of tying up the signing of Hugo Ekitike. Could they afford both Ekitike and Isak? Expect plenty more twists and turns in the next few days.

GOALKEEPER SITUATION

If transfer speculation over Isak has been a theme of the summer so far, then Newcastle’s long-running pursuit of James Trafford is another issue that has run and run.

The suggestion in the last 24 hours is that the Magpies are finally ready to walk away from the Trafford talks unless Burnley drop their asking price for the goalkeeper, which is understood to be around £40m. An added complication is the buyback clause that Manchester City inserted into the deal that took Trafford to Turf Moor, and that they are said to be considering activating.

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Amid all that uncertainty, Newcastle could have done with Nick Pope delivering a polished display on his pre-season bow. Instead, the Magpies’ current number one committed an absolute howler, missing an attempted header from a long clearance from Kasper Schmeichel entirely, and allowing Kenny to roll the ball into an empty net.

Nick Pope is left disappointed during Newcastle’s defeat (Image: Jane Barlow) The presence of John Ruddy on the bench suggests he is remaining as part of the goalkeeping mix, but Newcastle desperately need to sort out what is happening with the rest of their shot-stopping department.

LACK OF SQUAD DEPTH

As things stand, Isak, Joelinton, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall will all be added to the squad that lined up at Parkhead. Clearly, that quartet will significantly strengthen the ranks.

Nevertheless, with Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson having left since the end of last season, the Magpies’ squad is looking extremely light, especially in attack and midfield.

Will Osula had to play pretty much the whole game yesterday because he was the only senior forward available. Newcastle finished with the completely unproven Sean Neave leading the line. They also ended the game with Travis Hernes and Joe White in midfield, highlighting the lack of senior options currently available to Howe.

Eddie Howe watches on at Parkhead (Image: Jane Barlow) Two seasons ago, Newcastle’s season fell apart because there was not the squad depth needed to cope with a Champions League campaign and the demands of the Premier League. In the absence of any further additions, there would be a serious risk of the same thing happening again next term.

ANY POSITIVES?

Ultimately, pre-season results mean nothing. Celtic are two weeks ahead of Newcastle in terms of their physical preparations for the new season, with the Scottish Premier League campaign kicking off on August 2, a fortnight before the English top-flight gets going. It was no surprise that the home side were sharper and more competitive at the weekend, and Howe was quick to stress that his players’ physical exertions would benefit them hugely.

The main plus aside from gaining fitness was the appearance of Anthony Elanga, with the £52m signing from Nottingham Forest looking sharp and incisive as he played in a right-sided attacking role in the second half. For all that Newcastle have suffered a succession of frustrations in the transfer market this summer, prising Elanga from the City Ground was quite a coup.

Anthony Elanga made his first Newcastle appearance at Parkhead (Image: Jane Barlow) Anthony Gordon looked sharp on the opposite flank in the second period, and having lost his way somewhat in the second half of last season, this feels like a big campaign for the England international. His first task, in pre-season, is to convince Howe that he deserves to kick off the campaign in the starting XI ahead of Harvey Barnes.

It remains to be seen how much football Jamaal Lascelles plays next term, but having been absent for the whole of last season after undergoing ACL surgery, it was simply good to see the club captain back out on the pitch. Lascelles has remained an influential leader throughout his lengthy injury absence – next season, he might also have a role to play on the pitch.