I can’t imagine many Liverpool fans would have picked Pedro over Isak if you’re talking about the profile of striker we’ve lacked at times. Isak might not have absolutely set the world alight every week, but you can see the quality. He’s the kind who gives you a proper reference point up top, with enough touch and movement to turn half-chances into something more.
The obvious sticking point is price. That’s always the part that splits the room. It’s not about doubting the player, it’s about what else you could do with the same chunk of money, and whether the deal leaves you short in other areas. Football’s never played in a vacuum, is it?
Fans can change their minds quickly
We do this thing as supporters where we talk ourselves into, or out of, players depending on the mood and the label attached to them. Semenyo links in the summer had plenty of people groaning, then Wirtz arrives and suddenly everyone’s leaning over the Kop to get a better look.
To be fair, that reaction makes sense in one way. Wirtz is the more obvious “difference-maker” type if you’re thinking about control, creativity and adding a bit of class between the lines. If the need is to make the attack less predictable, you can see why a player like that gets people excited.
Value matters, but fit matters more
Even with that, the price chat doesn’t go away. If you’re spending at that level, you start thinking about alternative routes. The mention of Morgan Rodgers is the sort of thing I get: if the club are in for a big outlay, you want it to cover as many bases as possible. Legs, ball-carrying, a bit of chaos, and a player who can handle the Premier League’s weekly intensity.
But once you’ve supposedly landed your “big” striker and a top creator, the conversation shifts. It becomes less about the shopping list and more about the instruction manual.
Style of play has to serve the talent
This is the bit that nags at me: you can sign quality and still make it look ordinary if the system doesn’t let them breathe. If Isak’s strengths are his movement, timing and finishing, then he needs service that arrives with purpose, not hopeful balls with nobody near him.
And if Wirtz is there to knit things together, he needs the ball in the right zones, with runners and options. Otherwise you’re just asking him to play in traffic and improvise every single time. Truth is, if they can’t show their best in the current style, it’s hard to see who can.
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