Jason McAteer has called out Alexander Isak after a disappointing performance in Liverpool's 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest
Alexander Isak of Liverpool looks dejected during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield
Alexander Isak of Liverpool looks dejected during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield
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Jason McAteer has warned Alexander Isak that he needs to offer more for Liverpool and can no longer use his disjointed pre-season as an excuse for his slow start at Anfield. The Sweden international joined the Reds in a British record £125m move from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day, bringing an end to a protracted saga in the process.
The striker has essentially gone on strike at St. James’ Park in a bid to force an exit from the Magpies as he spent the majority of the summer training on his own.
He did not feature for Newcastle throughout pre-season as a result, nor during the opening weeks of the Premier League season prior to his switch to Anfield.
Isak is yet to score in the English top flight since joining Liverpool, with his only goal for the Reds from his nine appearances to date coming in the League Cup against Championship side Southampton.
The 26-year-old, who recently sat out five Liverpool matches because of a groin injury, made his return for the Reds in their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
But he was ineffectual throughout, touching the ball just 14 times during a disappointing display and made unwanted history as he became the first player in the club’s history to suffer defeat in all four of his first Premier League starts for the club.
And McAteer was left most unimpressed with the striker’s ‘anonymous’ performance against the East Midlands outfit as he bluntly challenged the use of Isak’s limited game-time as an excuse to explain his slow start.
“(He) needs (to do) more. You can't keep churning the narrative that we are going to give him game-time,” he said on the Official Liverpool FC Podcast. “He is a professional footballer and knows what he needs to do.
“You can go out onto a pitch and give [100 per cent] for 45 minutes because that's the plan. You give everything for 45 minutes and there's nothing in the tank. He was anonymous. He was absolutely anonymous.
“There was a moment in the second half on the right-hand side, I was looking at Isak's movement. There was a lot of attacking talent on the pitch.
“Ekitike had come on; he was outside the box on the left-hand side and I was thinking: If Liverpool pull the trigger and the keeper spills it he isn't going to create an opportunity for himself by following the ball in and being in a position where he might get the bits.
“You've got to be there to score goals. He's thinking about it too much.”
Meanwhile, McAteer also called out Isak for backing out of one tackle in particular during the Reds’ loss, claiming the Anfield crowd turned on the striker as a result.
“I have got to bring it up, there was an opportunity to make a really good tackle in the middle of the park and he backed out of it and the crowd turned on him,” he said. “That's the last thing you need when you're in that position.
“You're not scoring, not playing well and you've backed out of a tackle and the crowd have turned.
“We still talk about the Conor Bradley tackle on [Kylian] Mbappe and people remember moments and tackles. That was your opportunity to win the ball, win something.
“That's when you can change the crowd, that's your opportunity, take it and he didn't. That was just one moment, he didn't take his opportunity on the pitch.
“He looked a bit anonymous and we can't keep churning the narrative out that he's had no pre-season. He has got to produce.”