Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak’s much-anticipated transfer to Liverpool, completed in a record-breaking £130 million deal, has not gone as smoothly as expected. The Swedish forward, who did not train with Newcastle United or participate in pre-season matches, pushed for a move to Anfield in August. However, since joining Liverpool, Isak has struggled with both form and fitness, scoring only once against Southampton in the Carabao Cup and suffering a groin injury during Liverpool’s recent Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Chris Waddle said: “Fans are critical, and there’s a lot of criticism flying around because Isak’s not performing. You have to realise, he handled it all wrong at Newcastle. He said he wanted to leave, refused to train, and went to Real Sociedad to train basically on his own. He didn’t play any friendlies, then went to Liverpool and suddenly he’s in the Premier League which is a hard and physical league, mentally as well. He hasn’t hit the ground running at all. He’s probably two or three weeks behind most players. I’m not saying he won’t, but he handled it all wrong and he’s paying the consequences now for being behind. Sweden never qualify for the World Cup despite some of the players they have, and they are bottom of their group. It’s just unbelievable. But listen, the longer it goes without him scoring and playing well, his confidence will be sapped. We’ve seen this with Florian Wirtz, a young, very talented player who is unfortunately now on the bench. So it’s going to take Isak time to settle. He needs to start scoring goals, but he has to work on his fitness and sharpness. The only way he’s going to get that is by playing games. But if he’s not scoring the manager will be tempted to leave him on the bench and bring him on for half an hour, which he probably never anticipated would happen to him.”
Arne Slot said: “Many people wanted me to play him more and we had to find the balance and unfortunately today that balance didn’t work out for us perfectly. But let’s hope for the best. Today with Alex and Hugo, I brought two players on the pitch who are usually able to score goals. Alex was a few times close but had to go off at half-time, and that’s the difficult balance we are having with him. When he came to the club, he had hardly trained. So you bring him step by step forward, and then you feel there must be a moment where he can play twice a week, and the first time we try – he did it with Sweden as well – he has to go off. Normally you try to prepare players for once a week football, but if you are Liverpool you play every three days or normally three times in eight days but we’ve been unfortunate this season we have to play three times in seven days. We’ve tried to prepare him for that, we were really careful, and he was perfectly fit when he came back from the national team (last week) before the United game.”
Isak’s transition to Liverpool has been challenging, exacerbated by his lack of pre-season preparation and the demands of the Premier League. Chris Waddle criticized Isak’s approach during the transfer, emphasizing the consequences of his decision to train alone at Real Sociedad. Arne Slot, Liverpool’s manager, highlighted the difficulties in managing Isak’s fitness and match readiness, acknowledging that the club has been cautious in integrating him into the team. The congested fixture schedule has further complicated Isak’s adaptation, with Liverpool playing frequently in a short span, leaving little room for gradual improvement.
The Swedish international’s journey at Liverpool is still in its early stages, and while the initial hurdles have been significant, there remains optimism that with time and consistent playing opportunities, Isak can rediscover his form and become a key asset for the Reds.
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