'That trust isn't there' - how does Iraola get best out of Isak?
· Yahoo Sports
During Liverpool's negotiations with Paris St-Germain for Bradley Barcola, the Anfield hierarchy were determined not to pay more than the club-record £125m they spent on Alexander Isak last summer.
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When the £123m deal for Barcola is completed over the coming days, the France winger will become the 10th £100m player in Premier League history.
None have cost more than Isak, so the expectation on the former Newcastle striker is understandable, to say the least.
Isak scored 44 Premier League goals in his last two seasons at Newcastle, but in an injury-plagued first campaign at Anfield the 26-year-old found the back of the net just three times in 14 top-flight appearances.
For Andoni Iraola, who has drawn his first two games as Liverpool manager, a major part of success at Anfield will be the ability to get the best out of Isak, who - despite scoring - was largely ineffective in their 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Unlike last summer, Isak has looked sharp in pre-season after some impressive displays for Sweden at the World Cup, but struggled on his return to Tyneside last weekend.
For 45 minutes against Forest on Saturday, those struggles continued with just six touches, one accurate pass and zero shots.
"It is clear that Liverpool haven't worked out how to play with Alexander Isak yet," said ex-England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who is a pundit on Saturday's Match of the Day.
"At Newcastle everything flowed through him. That was down to a trust thing that they had built up over time - their midfield knew exactly where he was and they didn't even need to look up as he'd be there waiting.
"At Liverpool that trust just isn't there at the moment - no-one is feeling it and he isn't that central point, which is leading to him looking lost and isolated."
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'There's no doubting Isak's quality'
It would have been intriguing to be a fly on the wall in the directors' box at Anfield.
Iraola's first home Premier League game was watched by incoming Liverpool vice-chairman Amit Bhatia, principal owner John Henry, and sporting director Richard Hughes, who was integral in getting the deal for Isak done last summer.
Thankfully for them - and Iraola - Isak got Liverpool on level terms after the break. He managed just seven more touches in the second half but centre-forwards deal in goals and the Swede timed his run perfectly to meet Cody Gakpo's delivery for his first goal of the season. His smile after told a story in itself.
"That's the job ultimately as a striker [to score goals]. I am very happy to score the first one and hopefully it just keeps coming," Isak told TNT Sports.
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard described the goal as "big" - for both the striker's confidence and the team's.
But, in Hart's opinion, Iraola still has a major conundrum.
"Andoni Iraola has some big decisions to make," said Hart. "Does he base his team round him [Isak] or does he try to find a different solution within his squad? In my opinion he's got to commit to what the club have done by investing so heavily in Isak.
"There's no point signing these players if you aren't going to use them properly and play to their strengths. There's no doubting Isak's quality - they are just at a bit of a crossroads at the moment."
During Isak's struggles last season, the belief inside the club was that he was a long-term signing and judgement would be reserved for once he was fully fit.
Only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Ollie Watkins have scored more Premier League goals since Isak's first season in England and, with Salah now out of the picture, the onus is on Isak to deliver - particularly with Hugo Ekitike out injured.
Iraola's possession problem
Liverpool's first two games of the season have finished 2-2 despite Iraola's side enjoying 60% of possession against Newcastle last week and 70% against Forest.
In both games, they have found themselves trailing and are yet to be ahead in the Premier League this season.
That has inevitably made things trickier for Isak, who was such a force in a counter-attacking Newcastle side. Against low blocks, the proposition is different.
It is also symptomatic of a wider issue Iraola faces.
Last season, his Bournemouth side won just four of the 19 Premier League games in which they had the majority of possession. They won nine of the other 19.
The Cherries, who were known for their counter-pressing style and effectiveness in transition, also failed to win a game in which they had more than 58.8% possession.
In essence, his side were more successful when they had less of the ball - something that will rarely happen now he is at Anfield.
"As an attacking force it isn't flowing for Liverpool," said Hart. "With the physical nature of the Premier League and with them not 100% sure on what they are doing at the moment, teams are stomping all over them.
"It's going to take a whole lot of work from Iraola and his staff on the training pitch, but he is a top coach and they have top players."
Asked about whether he sets targets for the season, Isak said: "Not really. I think every striker wants to score [in] every game he plays. Obviously that's difficult but [we take] each game at a time."
That is one way to look at it, and this was certainly an improvement on his showing against Newcastle, but deep down Isak will know he can - and must - do better.