After last season’s struggle for Alexander Isak to find fitness only to then suffer a broken leg, it was hard for anyone to assess whether the drawn out transfer saga and price was worth it for the highly rated Swedish striker. It perhaps didn’t help Isak either that the excellent form of Hugo Ekitike, another centre forward brought in the same summer, was there as a constant and rarely flattering point of comparison.
With Hugo suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, though, the spotlight eventually turned back to Isak. Yet in such a badly misfiring Liverpool team, it was probably too much to expect him to start banging in the goals instantly. As a result, it probably wasn’t until the 2026 World Cup tournament where Liverpool supporters began to see glimpses from Isak that hinted towards why the club were so determined to get him in regardless of price.
Thankfully Isak made it through the World Cup without injury and got some much needed game minutes in his legs—and perhaps too a little confidence—for the approaching new Premier League season under Andoni Iraola’s coaching. In the opening game away against Newcastle, though, it again wasn’t a good team performance, and this writer struggled to see what Isak was bringing other than a target player who’s movement felt more stationary than fluid while not offering much in pressing.
Singling out Isak there would be a little harsh due to the whole team not pressing with intensity nor particularly playing coherently in passing and play patterns, but it wasn’t the hot start to year two everyone would have been hoping for.
With the second game against Crystal Palace at Anfield, there was hope that the players would be lifted by the home crowd. It was a game where we saw Cody Gakpo starting on the right—and thankfully, Gakpo took very well to the right, including delivering the cross which Isak turned into a goal. Even though the game showed some of the same worrying vulnerabilities in the team, it seemed like it might be a sign of better days ahead for Isak individually at least.
Then came Friday night’s game against Ipswich, one that on paper looked a certain win for Liverpool. And in the end it was indeed all three points that the Reds earned, which was vital. It was also an interesting lineup chosen by Iraola with loan signing Ronald Araujo starting as right back and Jemery Frimpong on the bench whilst Gakpo was back on the left with exciting new signing Bradley Barcola watching on.
As vital as those three points were, it was also a chance to see Iraola’s tactics starting to take a deeper hold on the players that encouraged this writer, as well the pregame preparation by Iraola and his coaching team. The name of the game was defensive solidity blended with the desire for Isak to be found by his teammates and it only took six minutes for it all to bear fruit with Gakpo finding Isak with a great pass who turned it into a very well taken goal.
Three minutes later and it was Gakpo again with quick thinking and a delicious pass, this time with the outside of his right foot, that found Isak. And once again Isak created his path to goal with some nice footwork and a calm finish.
After the match Iraola was asked about Isak and how to get him involved:
“Today I think we were much better in the press, especially in the first half. So we were recovering very high and then we can contact with him in good positions, No?
“If we recover the ball lower, I think it’s going to be more difficult to find him.
“He will have less spaces, so it’s a matter of collective effort so we can put our number nine in situations he had today.“
Iraola also mentioned candidly that his biggest conversations with Isak haven’t been about his scoring but what he needs to do to help the team during games, and this writer at least would say that Isak needs to work on being stronger in holding onto the ball allowing other teammates to get into counter attacking positions.
Connected to that perhaps is the concern that Isak may always be something of a luxury player in as much as he clearly considers scoring his main purpose, a little like Erling Haaland at Manchester City, and doesn’t appear to seek to involve himself overmuch beyond that. For this writer, and maybe it’s partly due to the love for all things Roberto Firmino (Bobby Dazzler you beauty) or a player Hugo Ekitike, that can be difficult.
For many Liverpool fans, getting involved in games and influencing them with link-up play, flicks, tricks and a certain swagger as well goals—or for when the goals aren’t coming—feels a core part of a striker’s job. But saying as much is an admittance of bias and preference rather than objective judgement. Most strikers, after all, don’t play like Roberto Firmino. Or Hugo Ekitike.
Most importantly for now, then, and as the win against Ipswich proved, is whether Isak’s teammates are finding hi, quickly before the space he has made is closed down by the opponent’s defense. At the very least, we can hope to see the best possible version of Alexander Isak, and that’s probably only ever going to happen with the team around him clicking.
With the Champions league getting underway this coming week and the Reds welcoming Atletico Madrid to Anfield on Wednesday evening, there is going to be a whole other level of opponent and atmosphere for new Liverpool players to experience and new head coach Andoni Iraola. It will make for a far tougher test than Ipswich. Let’s hope Gakpo can find Isak again a few more times.