'That trust isn't there' - how does Iraola get best out of Isak?
August 29, 2026 15:49
Liverpool remain in search of a way to get the most from Alexander Isak two games into Andoni Iraola's tenure. Isak scored in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at Anfield — his 58th Premier League goal — but was otherwise peripheral, collecting only six touches in the first 45 minutes and seven more after the break, with a single accurate pass in that first half.
The scrutiny around Isak has been heightened by the club's recent recruitment business: Liverpool paid a club-record fee for him last summer and have been firm in negotiations over other high-value signings. Pundits and former players on BBC coverage have questioned whether the Liverpool squad currently knows how to play to his strengths.
KEY CONTEXT
- Liverpool paid what the club described as a record fee for Isak last summer; the club also resisted paying more than that figure while negotiating for Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, whose deal is set at about £123m.
- Isak scored 44 Premier League goals across his last two seasons at Newcastle but managed only three goals in 14 league appearances during an injury-hit first campaign at Anfield.
- He looked sharper in pre-season and after his World Cup appearances for Sweden, yet has struggled to reproduce the same central role he occupied at Newcastle, where teammates built play around him.
- Liverpool have drawn both of their opening Premier League matches 2-2, despite registering 60% possession against Newcastle and 70% against Forest, and have trailed in both games without ever leading so far this season.
WHY IT MATTERS
Liverpool's heavy investment in Isak sets high expectations that the manager must address quickly. The contrast between Isak's prolific output at Newcastle — where the team structure revolved around him — and his more subdued role so far at Anfield highlights a tactical and personnel puzzle. With Mohamed Salah unavailable and Hugo Ekitike injured, there is an increased onus on Isak to contribute goals, and how Iraola configures his side will shape whether that investment yields the intended returns.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether Iraola decides to structure his team around Isak as a focal point, or to seek alternative attacking solutions within the current squad — a decision already flagged by pundits as a key managerial choice.
- Can Liverpool recreate the kind of positional understanding and trust Isak enjoyed at Newcastle so his teammates anticipate his movements more consistently?
- Whether Isak can translate his World Cup and pre-season form into a sustained run of starts and goal contributions now that he has opened his account for the campaign.
KEY FACTS
- Isak scored in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest; it was his 58th Premier League goal.
- He had six touches in the first half against Forest, with one accurate pass and no shots, then seven more touches after the break.
- Liverpool paid a club-record fee for Isak last summer and resisted exceeding that figure in talks over Bradley Barcola, whose deal is about £123m.
- Isak netted 44 Premier League goals across his final two seasons at Newcastle but managed three goals in 14 league appearances in his first season at Liverpool.
- Liverpool have drawn their opening two league games 2-2, holding 60% and 70% possession in those matches respectively.