Alexander Isak has struggled for form since joining Liverpool in a British record £125m move from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day, and the striker was slammed by one former Reds icon for his display against Nottingham Forest
Alexander Isak of Liverpool looks dejected during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield
(Image: Shaun Botterill, Getty Images)
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Jason McAteer has issued a stern warning to Alexander Isak, stating that the Swedish international needs to step up his game for Liverpool and can no longer blame his lacklustre start at Anfield on a disjointed pre-season. The striker, who joined the Reds in a record-breaking £125m move from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day, had essentially gone on strike at St. James' Park in an attempt to force a move away from the Magpies, spending most of the summer training alone.
As a result, he didn't feature for Newcastle throughout pre-season or during the initial weeks of the Premier League season before making his switch to Anfield.
Despite nine appearances for Liverpool so far, Isak is yet to find the back of the net in the Premier League, with his only goal coming in the League Cup against Championship side Southampton.
The 26-year-old, who recently missed five matches due to a groin injury, made his return for Liverpool in their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. However, his performance was far from impressive, touching the ball a mere 14 times and making unwanted history by becoming the first player in the club's history to lose all four of his initial Premier League starts for the team.
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."
Jason McAteer speaking on beIN Sports
Jason McAteer speaking on beIN Sports(Image: Twitter/beinports_en)
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Meanwhile, McAteer also slammed Isak for pulling out of one challenge in particular during the Reds' defeat, claiming the Anfield faithful turned on the forward as a consequence.
"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."
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