The pressure is well and truly on Arne Slot after Liverpool crashed to yet another defeat against Nottingham Forest, but a number of his players must also take a long, hard look at themselves.
The Premier League champions had hoped to bounce back from their loss at Manchester City before the international break, but were instead blown away once again at Anfield. Forest, rejuvenated under Sean Dyche, took the lead on 33 minutes when Murillo powered an effort beyond the returning Alisson, and that set the tone for the rest of the contest.
Igor Jesus looked to have doubled the visitors' advantage, only for his goal to be chalked off for handball, but Forest did find a deserved second, former Reds defender Neco Williams teeing up Nicola Savona in front of the Kop. Liverpool never looked like mounting a response and shipped another 12 minutes from time through Morgan Gibbs-White.
Reeling from a sixth defeat in their last seven top-flight games, the Merseyside heavyweights could slip as far as 11 points behind Arsenal on Sunday evening, and questions are rightly being asked of Slot's charges. Real Madrid target Ibrahima Konate delivered an embarrassing showing on Saturday, but one man has found himself in the firing line more than most - and deservedly so.
Alexander Isak Frustrates Again In Nottingham Forest Defeat
Alexander Isak in action for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest
Liverpool broke the British transfer record to snap up Alexander Isak from Newcastle, splashing out £125million on the striker. The sheer size of his price tag meant he was expected to hit the ground running at the tip of the club's new-look attacking spear, but his exploits so far have been anything but heroic. Instead, his dream of joining the Reds has turned into a nightmare.
His statistics against Forest speak for themselves. He attempted just one shot and missed the target, and was hooked after touching the ball a measly 15 times during his 68 minutes on the pitch. Isak also lost possession seven times, while his sole dribble was unsuccessful. As a result, Liverpool again looked woefully short on attacking edge despite creating several golden chances.
Slot partly recruited Isak in view of using him as a direct out ball, but the frontman was poor in possession, completing just six of his eight attempted passes. Damningly, he also lost all of his duels, both on the ground and aerially.
Isak has scored one goal in his nine Liverpool appearances, and quite simply hasn't been up to the level required. In his defence, he did miss out on a steady pre-season campaign, which left him painfully lacking match fitness during his early weeks at Anfield, but he can now have no complaints if the manager makes it clear that Hugo Ekitike has taken his spot as the first-choice No 9.
Slot has no choice but to persist with the Swede, and he will certainly hope that he finds the back of the net sooner rather than later. But he also desperately needs results, and surely cannot survive much longer without a ship-steadying victory. Judging from his form this season, Isak is not yet ready to handle this mantle, and he must be dropped.
Alexander Isak Slammed For Poor Performance
Post-match, the verdict on Isak's performance from journalists and supporters alike was unsurprisingly critical. The Athletic's James Pearce singled out the 26-year-old ace and Konate as Slot's biggest headaches.
Analysis from a bleak afternoon at Anfield... Slot has a stack of problems - Konate and Isak are two of them.
Henry Winter also urged Isak to step up to the plate after a difficult start to life at Liverpool. He said: "Arne Slot will endure some brutal headlines for this pitiful performance. £400m+ spent, champions weakened, identity and intensity faded, system scrambled. Slot's accountable. But his players, new (Isak) and established (Konate), have to take more responsibility."
One supporter was similarly unimpressed, writing: "We’ve spent £125m on a striker and none of the team are creating or giving the ball to him, and it’s unfair on Isak. Never seen a player so isolated."
Another pointed to wider failings in Slot's system, but believes Isak must be doing more during games.
"Does our system right now suit Alexander Isak? No," they said. "Has he been starved of service? Yes. Should a £125m striker still be doing better and have at least a single league goal when it's December next week? Yes. His performance today was well below par for someone of his quality."
While it is far too early to consign Isak to the scrap heap of big-name Liverpool failures, the consensus at Anfield is clear, and patience is rapidly wearing thin.