Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

&c

After a turbulent summer of rejections, tantrums and defeats, driven by a rotating cast of rabid, paid-per-click 'journalists', a game of football broke out at a sunny Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime.

Emerging with a more-than-creditable 0-0 draw, two things were apparent.

Firstly, the twisty-faced elephant (not) in the room needs a resolution, and it needs one now, because although Gordon worked hard and got into some good positions playing up front, it's not his best position.

Secondly, Eddie Howe's Trophy Winning Mags are still a very good team.

Although we lacked the finishing touch, from Elanga's saved one-on-one in the third minute through to a host of other half-chances, overall performance was excellent and we dominated Villa basically all game.

In fact, so good was this away performance that it's hard not to come away feeling disappointed not to win, especially following Konsa's dismissal just after the hour mark for hauling down Gordon who was through on goal.

So then, to Isak, and a brief recap.

This has been an exhausting and surprising saga that seemed to go from 0 to 100 in the time it took Liverpool to sign Hugo Ekitike.

Having threatened us to either leave Ekitike to them (when it looked as though we had a great chance of signing him at the second time of asking) or give them Isak, we stood firm on Isak and the Scouse club of the people decided they would have both, and on their terms.

Omitted from the Celtic game to keep him out of the spotlight, Isak then developed a mysterious thigh strain that required him to sit out the lucrative pre-season tour of the Far East, but soon turned up in San Sebastian training at former club Sociedad, in a completely unauthorised absence.

Very soon after that, paid shills in the media started reporting that Isak would refuse to play for us again, and that we had reneged on a new contract offer.

I have my own opinions on this but the truth is that nobody knows the truth because neither the club nor Isak are talking - at least not directly.

With a widely reported £150m asking price on his head, Liverpool then communicated to their friends in the media that they were 'preparing' a £120m bid.

Well, £10m of that must have got lost along the way as they came in with a £110m bid that was rejected out of hand.

To me this suggests that they don't actually really want him, given that they've essentially signed the prototype Isak in Ekitike.

I am not big on conspiracy theories, but it's been hard not to put my tin foil hat on this summer and feel like the Sky 6 clubs have just been going out of their way to sign players we want.

ANYWAY.

We have made some additions, and good ones at that, especially in the electric Elanga.

We've finally got cover in for Schar in Malik Thiaw, we've consolidated the goalkeeping department (after a year long debacle of a James Trafford chase), moving Dubravka and Vlachodimos out and bringing Ramsdale in.

The departure of great servant Sean Longstaff to Leeds left a hole in midfield that's been plugged by the very promising Jacob Ramsey from Villa, who could really kick on if he can stay fit.

There's no denying that we're completely bare up front though, with Osula the only available striker following the departure of Callum Wilson to West Ham and the aggravated petulance of Isak.

It's an untenable situation that will only be partially eased by the hopeful signing of the excellent Wissa, but we need either another striker on top of that (which would necessitate the sale of Isak) or the reintegration of the sulky Swede.

Seemingly nobody is going to pay the money we want for him at this stage, and realistically is there any way back for him? I don't know how we square this circle and I'm glad I'm not the one who has to try.

For now, I'm just glad the football is back and we've got 11 lads out there on the pitch busting a gut for the Black and White stripes (or the, er, 'Tyne Bridge inspired' green away kit).

Up next? Just Liverpool at home next Monday night.

Tasty.