I really like this.
Alexander Isak and Jérémy Jacquet have both been nominated for the PFA Premier League Fans’ Player of the Month award for September.
And I think Liverpool supporters have every reason to be pleased about it.
Because these two players represent two completely different sides of what made Liverpool so good during September.
Isak provided the goals.
Jacquet helped make sure Liverpool stopped conceding them.
And between them, they played a huge part in Liverpool taking seven points from three Premier League games without conceding a single goal.
That is some turnaround.
Isak finally started showing Liverpool what he can do
I’ve been saying for a while that I expected Isak to come good at Liverpool.
September was the month when we finally started seeing it.
He scored three goals in three Premier League appearances.
Two of them came in that brilliant 2-0 victory at Ipswich, when he scored twice inside the opening nine minutes and completely changed the game.
Then came Bournemouth.
Liverpool were involved in a difficult, physical game at the Vitality Stadium and needed something special to win it.
Isak provided it.
His 57th-minute goal gave Liverpool a 1-0 victory and another hugely important three points.
That’s what you want from a £100m-plus striker.
Not necessarily spectacular performances every week.
Just goals when Liverpool need them.
And Isak was doing exactly that.
Then there is Jacquet
This is the nomination that makes me particularly happy.
Because Jacquet has been outstanding.
The French defender played every minute of Liverpool’s three Premier League matches in September, and Liverpool didn’t concede once.
Think about that for a moment.
A 21-year-old centre-back who only joined Liverpool this summer has walked into a new defence, partnered Virgil van Dijk and immediately looked like he belongs.
And it isn’t just about the clean sheets.
Jacquet has looked composed on the ball, aggressive in the tackle and extremely comfortable defending high up the pitch.
He’s also shown a maturity that I wasn’t sure we’d see this quickly.
Liverpool supporters voted him their Player of the Match against Bournemouth after another impressive display in the 1-0 victory.
That’s some start to life at Anfield.
I actually think Jacquet deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround
At the beginning of the season, there were plenty of questions about Liverpool defensively.
Now?
I’m starting to feel completely different about it.
Van Dijk looks like Van Dijk again.
Ronald Araújo has been excellent at right-back.
Alisson is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
And Jacquet has slotted into the middle of it all as though he’s been there for years.
That’s a big reason why the three September clean sheets feel so significant.
The Premier League’s own assessment of the month highlighted Jacquet’s tackles, interceptions and recoveries, while noting the strong partnership he formed with Van Dijk.
And let’s not forget that he has only just arrived.
Imagine how good he could become once he has another year of Premier League football behind him.
Two Liverpool players. Two completely different jobs.
That’s what I love about these nominations.
Isak is there because he put the ball in the net.
Jacquet is there because he helped stop the opposition putting it in ours.
One is still adapting to Liverpool’s attacking system.
The other has already become an important part of Iraola’s defensive structure.
And both are giving Liverpool supporters plenty to be excited about.
Of course, there are some very strong names on the shortlist.
Pascal Gross had an outstanding month for Brighton, while Charalampos Kostoulas, Kevin Schade and Antoine Semenyo also impressed.
In fact, Gross subsequently won the Premier League’s official Player of the Month award after producing two goals and three assists during September.
So I’m not going to pretend either Liverpool player is guaranteed to win the PFA award.
But that’s not really the point.
They’ve been recognised.
And deservedly so.
I’m particularly pleased for Jacquet
If I’m being honest, Isak’s nomination doesn’t surprise me.
Three goals in three league games is exactly the sort of thing that gets you noticed.
But Jacquet?
I think his nomination shows just how quickly he’s won people over.
He came to Liverpool with a £60m price tag and very little Premier League experience.
There were obvious questions about whether he could immediately handle the pressure.
Instead, he has looked incredibly comfortable.
He has formed a partnership with Van Dijk, helped Liverpool keep three consecutive clean sheets and even earned his first France call-up.
That’s quite a few boxes ticked already.
And now he’s been recognised by the PFA’s supporters’ award as well.
Not bad for a 21-year-old who had never played in the Premier League before this season.
And Liverpool need both of them
This is the bigger picture for me.
Liverpool aren’t going to achieve everything through Isak scoring goals.
And they aren’t going to achieve it through Jacquet keeping clean sheets either.
They need both.
They need Isak becoming the striker Liverpool believed they were buying.
They need Jacquet continuing to develop into the defender Liverpool believe he can become.
And they need the rest of the team to start finding the same consistency.
September showed what can happen when Liverpool get the balance right.
Three games. Seven points. Zero goals conceded.
And two of the players at the heart of that improvement have now been recognised by the supporters.
I like that.
Very much.
Because if Isak keeps scoring and Jacquet keeps defending like this, Liverpool could have two very important pieces of Iraola’s team already falling into place.
Now let’s see if they can do it again in October.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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