Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been forced to address a concerning statistic surrounding his club-record signing, Alexander Isak, which underscores a significant tactical challenge at Anfield.
The Striking Drop in Involvement
The Swedish international, signed for £125 million from Newcastle United, has averaged a mere 12.3 touches in his last three Premier League appearances. This marks a stark decline from his time on Tyneside, where he averaged 33.5 touches per 90 minutes last season. For Liverpool so far, that figure sits at just 21.9.
While Slot pointed out that elite strikers like Erling Haaland can be effective with limited involvement, he conceded the issue for Isak is the quality and location of those touches. "It is more important that they touch the ball at the right times than to touch it so many times," Slot stated. "We have to make sure that's the complete difference between Haaland and Alex; Haaland touches it much more where it matters."
Tactical Shifts and Missing Personnel
Several factors are contributing to Isak's isolation. Slot admitted that a conscious decision to make Liverpool more compact and less open after a poor run has inadvertently reduced chance creation. Furthermore, the team is frequently facing deep-lying, low-block defences, which negate Isak's primary asset: his explosive pace.
A critical missing piece is the specific profile of a right-sided provider. At Newcastle, Jacob Murphy assisted seven of Isak's goals last term. Slot acknowledged Liverpool currently lacks a direct equivalent. "It is obvious and clear that we have not the profile of Jacob Murphy available at this moment," he said. Mohamed Salah, traditionally the supply line from the right, has seen his assist numbers drop and has been on the bench recently.
The Road to Improvement
The return of attacking full-backs like the injured Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley could offer a solution, providing natural width and crosses. Slot also highlighted the need for better synergy between Isak and his new teammates, particularly creative signings like Florian Wirtz.
Despite breaking his Premier League duck for the club in the 3-2 win at West Ham last month, the overarching problem remains. Slot has placed improving Isak's involvement firmly on his agenda. "It is definitely one of the things on my list of things to improve," he confirmed, "is getting our No 9 more involved in the game and more involved in the final third." The success of Liverpool's season may hinge on solving this costly puzzle.
