A lackluster start
Isak's only goal for Liverpool came in the 2-1 win over Southampton in the League Cup, who have only played in the Championship. In the Premier League, the Swedish star is still obscure, while the defending champion is going through a series of poor form with 4 consecutive defeats in all competitions.
At Newcastle, Isak was described by his teammates as a "difficult to predict". He appears both cold and excited. That blend of strong personality and composure once made Eddie Howe decide to take a cut with Isak in a harsh conversation last season after the loss to Fulham. As a result, Isak scored 27 goals in the remaining 36 matches. That form made Liverpool decide to break the box to recruit.
Arne Slot is still patient but Isak needs to show more than that
The Liverpool captain still has full faith in Alexander Isak. He stressed that this was a 6-year contract, not a 6-week one. Captain Virgil van Dijk also regularly encouraged and supported the Swedish rookie. However, after more than a month, everything still showed no signs of eating at all.
Loss of rhythm, loss of form
The first reason comes from Isak himself. He refused to join Newcastle's summer tour to create pressure to leave, which means missing the physical preparation and tactical getting used to it. When arriving at Anfield, Isak almost had to "compensate" in official matches.
The physical problem may be over, but the feeling and pace of play have not returned. When playing for Newcastle, Isak often only took a few matches to regain his form after an injury. However, at Liverpool, he is muddy in a streak of lifeless matches, without goals and without breakthroughs.
Loss of finishing instinct
The missed first half against Man United was clear evidence. From Konate's perfect pass, Isak accelerated to break the offside trap but the shot was too weak and was blocked by goalkeeper Lammens with his feet.
That situation shows that the biggest problem Isak is lacking the feeling of a penalty area assassin. From the gentle shot against Galatasaray, the missed kick against Crystal Palace, to inaccurate headers against Chelsea, all showed that he had not found the necessary coolness in front of goal.
Isak's expected goals (xG) is only 1.7 and most of his chances are at a difficult level. Not having many one-touch shots, not having the confidence of a striker has given the Premier League defense a scare.
When the striker has to find the ball himself
Part of Isak's fault. In the match against Man United, Liverpool almost failed to create a clear chance for the Swedish striker. He often has to drop deep, receive the ball back and handle it in a narrow range. Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo are the ones who play alongside but are more likely to score than assist.
The connection is still unfinished
The most natural connector to Isak to date is Florian Wirtz. In the 3-2 win over Atletico, the pair coordinated well, creating a few dangerous opportunities. However, since then, Wirtz has been pushed to the left wing or sat on the bench, causing Isak to once again be isolated.
The ball lines from Frimpong, Mac Allister and Salah are still lost. Even if Isak moves reasonably, his teammates do not understand his habits, which used to be a harmful weapon at Newcastle, where Isak perfectly combines with Jacob Murphy.
Consequences of chaos
Liverpool this season is like a machine rebooting. Two new full-backs, constant rotation in the "number 10" position and the fact that key players like Salah and Gakpo have not yet reached high performance, all of which have made Slot's system disjointed.
In an unstable environment, Isak becomes the most obvious victim. He was expected to be the perfect piece for the champion but instead is struggling between an unclear team.
Pressure and expectations
Although Liverpool always insists that they bought Isak for a long-term journey, not for the first few months. However, with a price of 125 million pounds, patience has its limits.
Anfield used to wait for a modern striker, who could combine technique, speed and finishing like Haaland or Osimhen. However, up to now, Isak is still a shadow of himself when he still moves well, coordinates smoothly but temporarily loses the instinct to end the situation.
