Isak at this fee was always going to be under the microscope, but the more I watch him in this Liverpool side the more the whole thing feels like a bad tactical mismatch rather than a statement signing.
Playing With Ten Men Up Top?
The big issue for me is his work without the ball. He has never really been known as a hard worker or a forward who knits the team together. Goals are obviously his main currency, and that is fine if you are ruthless and constantly involved in dangerous areas. But right now it feels like we are playing with ten men.
He offers very little unless the ball is dropped perfectly at his feet, and even then, he is not in those zones nearly enough. In the few attacking moves we actually put together that are not just five minutes of our centre-backs rolling it between each other, he is nowhere near the box. You look up and expect your record signing striker to be there between the posts, and he is drifting, jogging, almost watching.
Slot’s Slow Build And A Striker Waiting To Pounce
In theory, he should be a good fit for Arne Slot’s slower, more controlled build-up. Creep the ball forward, keep it, wait for the opening, then Isak appears with a clinical finish. On paper you can see how that was sold.
The reality is very different. Other teams do not just sit there and get bored. They press, they counter, they try to score themselves. Our slow tempo is inviting pressure, and instead of us lulling sides to sleep, it feels like we are lulling our own crowd to sleep. The football is draining to watch and the forward who is meant to make it all worthwhile at the sharp end is barely involved.
Impact Sub Price Tag On A Record Signing
If Isak cost a third of what we paid and was used as a specialist option off the bench, you could just about make sense of it. Throw him on late against a deep block, let him sniff out a chance in the box, fine. That kind of player has a place in a squad.
But you do not spend a British transfer record fee on an impact sub. You expect a starter. You expect effort, presence, goals, some kind of consistent contribution. Right now he has barely broken a sweat, he is not pressing like a modern Liverpool forward should, and the goals are not there to cover everything else.
Another Call The Management Might Have Got Wrong
The most worrying part is that it does not just reflect badly on Isak, it shines a light on the people making the decisions. This feels like another big call the management team might have got wrong this year. The profile, the price, the way Slot wants to play, none of it looks aligned when you actually watch the games.
I would love nothing more than for him to prove me wrong, to suddenly click into gear, start leading the line properly and banging them in. But right now, he is not scoring, he is not working particularly hard, and the whole thing looks like an expensive gamble that is nowhere near paying off.
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