There is no escaping the fact that Alexander Isak’s transition to life as a Liverpool player has been tough. He often looks like a footballer suffering from the classic case of trying too hard and withdrawing from the usual mechanics of his game.
It’s no secret that the Sweden international is not an all-action, all-knives-covering, all-urgent monster. But he is getting his bearings, grinding into spaces and wanting to show all his readiness as the pressure looms heavy on his, so far, highly anticlimactic record £125million transfer.
But an often forgotten truth in all of this is that Liverpool went back to the model of recruiting a thoroughbred number 9 when signing Isak.
It is not a nice experience to watch these types of footballers when they are out of shape and no longer have match fitness. We forget this because of how bad things have been for Liverpool of late and how much sheer desperation there is for consistent goals.
But this Liverpool side has spent the last decade focused on the very niche and unique talents of Roberto Firmino as a tailor-made number 9. Those types of players always look good, creative and effortless. Their overall goals are much less, but that’s part of it.
The Isak professional football players are much more direct and much more transactional. Rarely do they mask the cracks of the barren moments and the growing pains by delivering performances of pure silk.
Isak is a player who needs to be understood by his teammates, regularly found by his teammates and who needs to professionally hone his eye for goal through ruthless chances on goal.
It will come, the goal here itself was proof enough – a reflexive, slotted effort subtly tucked into the near post at pace. This kid undoubtedly knows how to score, but the team needs to make a huge effort and look after him to ensure this slow burn doesn’t continue any longer.
Florian Wirtz needs consistency
Florian Wirtz was the best player on the pitch for Liverpool and the central part of the new dynasty. Every time he plays, Wirtz does something that looks and feels like magic, albeit only in flashes so far.
But the jury was never out on whether the big-money asset can play football. He can play the game better than almost anyone, but he desperately needs consistency around him. Today the foundation has been laid for Arne Slot to give the Germany international a consistent position in midfield, with the freedom to plunder the central channels as he sees fit.
Top players thrive when they are trusted, so it was no surprise that Isak got into the game much faster when Wirtz started losing his marker again and again. His passing range and quick thinking led to a strong connection with Cody Gakpo, who otherwise had an indifferent afternoon.
To benefit from the momentum this win will bring, Wirtz needs to be the first name on the team sheet in the attacking department, and Liverpool need to go again.
Joe Gomez’s role follows Arsenal
Gomez’s return became increasingly predictable, and here it felt like it paid off. Liverpool’s longest-serving player performed well at right-back, as he has done before.
But it was the imposing and somewhat unconventional presence of another centre-back added to the backline that helped Liverpool hold their own in the capital.
A feature now seen weekly on Arsenal’s team pages – a range of big defenders spread across different positions – could be something that is borrowed at Anfield in the coming weeks as Slot finally understands the non-negotiable decision that Dominik Szoboszlai should play further up the pitch to lead the forward press.
Gomez has always been a confident player and someone who benefits from a long run in the team. It may be time to stick with this for now and get something built.
Slot’s Salah gamble pays off
Like Jurgen Klopp before him, Slot has shown time and time again that dropping – or even replacing – Mo Salah is something that is rarely considered.
So it took a brave man to travel to the capital with Salah in a suit and boots, only to leave him on the sidelines the entire time.
And yet it paid off. Salah’s form was similar to Liverpool’s own miserable decline, and today the attacking line looked balanced without him despite being far from clinical.
Salah’s absence seemed to liberate those around him; the pressure was lifted in the sense that he didn’t have to go to the headman, or cover a channel in space that isn’t his job to monitor. With Liverpool needing a win today more than anything, Slot simply had to choose this nuclear option and his courage was rewarded.
There will be a time and a place for Salah to come back into this team. His recent slump is the target of much exaggeration given his age and status, but it would also be remiss to think that Salah’s playing time in Liverpool’s starting XI this season won’t change so quickly from this point.
Liverpool may do better on the road
With things being what they are, we might not be far off the mark in predicting that Liverpool are going to have a lot more fun on the road.
The traveling Kop was in full voice and roared until the final whistle, closing it all with a stirring rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Liverpool’s faithful have always been the best of the best, and Slot knows he will be supported to the bitter end by those who spend their hard-earned money and time following the Reds on this beautiful island. There is a real unity between players and fans in the tightly packed, limited away games, and Liverpool must now capitalize on this unity and togetherness.
A return to Anfield will bring with it the pressure to restore the fort. It goes without saying that this is something Liverpool absolutely need to do, but it cannot be achieved without confidence and pre-built momentum. Getting points on the board in away games like this can work wonders for the Reds, even if wins like today have to be achieved in more unceremonious circumstances.
#West #Ham #Liverpool #talking #points #Salahs #stupidity #pays