John Aldridge has said that one of Liverpool’s summer signings must now start to ‘deliver’ for Arne Slot’s side, beginning with the Anfield showdown against Manchester United next weekend.
Alexander Isak arrived on Merseyside in the final hours of deadline day having not had a proper pre-season after going on strike to force a move away from Newcastle, so he’s had to build up his fitness in his first few weeks with the Reds.
However, having now played in nine matches for club and country since the start of September – including all 90 minutes of Sweden’s defeat to Switzerland on Friday – the 26-year-old should be primed to kick on for the remainder of the season.
Aldridge: ‘No more excuses’ for Isak after soft launch at Liverpool
In his latest column for the Liverpool Echo, Aldridge claimed that the honeymoon period for the Reds’ record signing has passed and he now needs to show why we spent £125m on him at the end of the summer transfer window.
The former LFC striker wrote: “During my playing days, people used to talk of needing a month or so to get up to match fitness over the summer, and Isak will have had about six or seven weeks by the time Manchester United arrive at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
“OK, the games he has been involved in for Liverpool so far have all had something riding on them because they were not friendly fixtures, but it feels like the international break for Sweden will have helped him get fitter at club level.
“Now is the time for him to deliver. No more ‘excuses’. No more ‘explanations’. It’s United up next and there is no better time or team to show why you are one of the main men now at a club the size of Liverpool.”
Hopefully Isak can now begin to truly make his mark at Liverpool
Isak has scored once in 312 minutes of game-time for Liverpool so far, a significant decrease from averaging a goal every 123.11 minutes for Newcastle last season (27 in 3,324 minutes).
The subdued start could be put down to his need to regain match fitness after an abortive summer, but as Aldridge says, the 26-year-old should now be sharp enough to make a telling impact for the Reds after the run of games he’s had since the September international window.
Although fellow summer signings Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have appeared to face more media scrutiny than the Swedish marksman, BBC reporter Michael Emons recently wrote that ‘question marks remain’ as to whether our number 9 can fit into the same line-up as Hugo Ekitike.
Despite Isak’s excellent goal record in England and Man United’s woes over the past couple of years, his return against the Red Devils is quite mediocre by his standards – he’s only netted against them once in eight matches throughout his career (Newcastle’s 2-0 win at Old Trafford last season).
If he can add to that tally with a decisive strike on Sunday, it’d make him a darling of the Kop and hopefully light the touchpaper for a continuous flurry of goals in a Liverpool shirt over the coming months!
You can watch Slot’s post-Chelsea press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
My answer to John Aldridge, Liverpool will always struggle when curtis Jones takes any part in Liverpool games. I don’t care what Aldridge says about Jones he only gets in because he’s a scouser , and that is wrong, I watched trey anyone in the under 19 match and he’s light years ahead of Jones at 17, mind you so was Tyler morton.
On this matter of stepping up his tgere is more one player that need to step up bring back Robson he is strong and a team player this has being very tough on the players after the tragety of their team mate,
so as the weeks go ahead they will come back stronger than before they need us as fans to be the 12th man so we will rise again i believe in liverpool andctge players and Slot too we are good my opinion YNWA
Not the easiest read, Caroline.
I get your point though.
I think Arne’s had to play Milos K in order to get a feel of how he slots into the team in competitive games.
He is the future.
Andy Robertson (I think that’s who you mean), for all he brings to the team has been making the odd important mistake recently and is getting the wrong side of 30, but has plenty left to give.
Opposition players on the right are getting faster and trickier (Madueke, Saka etc.).
We need to be up to that level.
…and yet Jürgen did and Arne does appear to utilise Jones more often.
Wonder why ? Maturity perhaps ?
Gotta be careful there, Chrish.
There are some out there that cant let go over his beaut vs Everton that sailed over Pickford into the top corner⚽🏆.
Box ‘o chocolates….