There’s a middle ground with Isak that feels like it’s getting lost. Calling him a poor footballer is harsh, and I’m not having that. But the other extreme, labelling him “world class” like it’s a foregone conclusion, doesn’t sit right either. Liverpool fans are allowed to be excited without rewriting reality.
The truth is I’ve always felt he’s a bit of a stylistic gamble for us. Not because he can’t play, but because what he wants from a match isn’t always what Liverpool demand from a centre-forward, especially when we’re serious about pressing, counter-pressing, and winning the ball back quickly.
Fit matters more than vibes
When you watch Liverpool at our best, the striker isn’t just there to finish moves. He’s a trigger. He sets the tone off the ball, makes nuisance runs, pins centre-halves, and helps the rest of the side squeeze the pitch. If the work ethic isn’t there, or it comes in flashes rather than as a default setting, it changes everything around him.
That’s why the “poor fit” shout keeps coming back. You can argue about attitude all day, but in this team it shows up in simple stuff: do we win second balls higher up, do we keep the opposition penned in, do our midfielders have to sprint back because the press hasn’t stuck?
Where’s the service in ‘Slotball’?
Even if you put the pressing debate to one side, there’s another issue: do we actually feed him often enough? Under Arne Slot, the football has felt slower and more controlled at times, and if you’re not getting regular early balls into the box, the striker can end up starving. If he’s the sort who needs the game built around him, you’re already asking Liverpool to compromise.
And that’s the worry. If you have to change the team to accommodate one forward, it’s not always the forward who wins that argument, particularly when Liverpool’s success has usually been about a collective rhythm rather than a single focal point.
The “world class” label needs earning
People can shout “world class” because they like the player, or because the fee makes them want it to be true. But that label is supposed to mean sustained top-level output, season after season, not just a couple of strong campaigns and a highlight reel.
Add in the concerns around his injury record, plus the pressure that comes with a big price tag, and it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where it doesn’t quite click. Especially if there’s competition in the squad, like Ekitike, making every off-day feel louder.
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