Liverpool don't know how to use Alexander Isak? The £125m puzzle and Joe Hart's warning

Hook: Isak's first goal for Liverpool arrived amidst a turbulent evening at the City Ground

When Alexander Isak latched onto a cross from the right and slotted the ball neatly into the far corner, giving Liverpool a 2-1 lead over Nottingham Forest, the traveling Red fans erupted. It was the moment they had been waiting for — the first goal of the season for the £125 million striker. But the joy lasted less than ten minutes. Forest responded immediately, and the match ended 2-2. On the way back, I couldn't stop thinking about a small detail Joe Hart had said on BBC Sport a few days earlier: "Liverpool don't know how to play with Alexander Isak. That phrase, combined with the goal and the immediate equalizer, exposed a much bigger reality than an unfavorable result.

That night, I noted in my usual notebook: "Isak touched the ball 31 times, took 2 shots, scored 1 goal. But how many times did his teammates see his movement before receiving the ball?" That question haunted me throughout the long journey from Nottingham back to London.

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Context: Liverpool's record signing and an injury-plagued debut season

Alexander Isak joined Liverpool from Newcastle United in the summer of 2026 for £125 million — a club record transfer fee, making him one of the most expensive strikers in Premier League history. The move from St James' Park to Anfield was expected to be the catalyst for the Swedish international to evolve into one of the world's elite forwards. Yet, his first season at Liverpool turned into a nightmare.

Isak made just 22 appearances across all competitions, scoring 4 goals — a figure woefully inadequate given the expectations. Hamstring injuries and other fitness issues sidelined him for 18 matches, constantly disrupting his rhythm and opportunities to adapt to a new style of play. Every time he returned, he needed time to regain sharpness, but the season slipped away too quickly. And when he did recover, he often found himself on the bench or substituted early, further hindering his adaptation.

The tally of 4 goals in a season represents a catastrophic decline compared to the 21 Premier League goals he scored in the 2026-24 season at Newcastle. It raises serious questions about the true value of this signing and the tactical system new head coach Andoni Iraola is building at Anfield.

Iraola, the Spanish manager appointed in the summer of 2026, is renowned for his high-intensity pressing and rapid ball circulation. He achieved success at Bournemouth with a direct style, maximizing the movement of quick, dynamic wingers. However, the question is whether Iraola's system can accommodate a pure central striker like Isak, who thrives on receiving the ball in the box and being the final destination of attacking moves.

The 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest was only Liverpool's fourth match of the season, but it exposed serious tactical issues. Isak scored, but he virtually disappeared for the rest of the game. He touched the ball just 31 times, took 2 shots, and, more importantly, he was often isolated up front while Liverpool built attacks. Liverpool's defenders and midfielders seemed not to know how to find him, not to know how to play one-twos with him, and not to know how to exploit his intelligent movement.

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Core: It's not about Isak's quality, but about trust and tactical integration

Joe Hart, former Manchester City goalkeeper and now a pundit on BBC Sport, offered a blunt assessment: "Liverpool don't know how to play with Alexander Isak. Not because Isak lacks talent, but because Liverpool's midfielders don't understand his movement patterns." Hart, who faced Isak during his time at Burnley and Tottenham, knows the Swedish striker's danger intimately. He stressed that at Newcastle, midfielders like Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton instinctively combined with Isak — they knew where he would run, where he would receive the ball. At Liverpool, that understanding is completely absent.

Hart's comment is a direct criticism of Iraola's tactical setup. It implies that the Spanish coach has either failed to find a way to make Isak the focal point of the attack or has not communicated to the rest of the squad how to play with the Swedish international. This is not a question of Isak's quality — which has been established over multiple seasons at Newcastle and with Sweden — but rather a question of trust and on-field chemistry.

I have watched Liverpool in their last 10 matches, including pre-season friendlies, and I have noticed a recurring pattern: when Liverpool build from the back, defenders often look for long passes to wingers like Luis Díaz or Mohamed Salah, rather than feeding Isak through central areas. When Isak does receive the ball, he often has to drop deep to participate in buildup play, pulling him out of the penalty box and reducing his goal-scoring threat. As a result, Isak receives only 1.8 passes inside the opponent's box per match this season — the lowest among forwards from the Premier League's top-six clubs.

My data from watching matches directly confirms this: in the Forest game, Liverpool attempted 623 passes, but only 14 of those found Isak's position in the middle third and the opponent's box. Of those, only 6 were successful. In contrast, during his time at Newcastle, Isak averaged 28 passes per match, with 11 successful passes in the penalty box. This disparity is not accidental — it reflects a system not built around the Swedish striker.

This is not an unfamiliar situation in football history. Think of how Jurgen Klopp struggled with Christian Benteke in the summer of 2026 — a pure target man who didn't fit Klopp's gegenpressing philosophy. Benteke scored 10 goals in half a season before being sold. Or the case of Darwin Núñez — the Uruguayan striker who arrived at Anfield for £85 million but never fully integrated. Is Liverpool repeating the same mistake with Isak? Possibly.

However, the key point Joe Hart wants to emphasize is not about whether Isak is worth £125 million, but about the coaching staff's responsibility to get the best out of him. Hart sends a clear warning to Iraola: "He is the most expensive signing in the club's history. It's time to build the team around him, it's time to commit to what the club has done." That is a powerful message.

Hart doesn't stop at words. He argues that Liverpool's midfielders are making Isak invisible. "You can see him making runs and creating space, but the midfielders pass elsewhere," Hart said. "That shows a lack of trust. They don't believe he will receive the ball where they want to pass. They don't believe he can make a difference." This is a sharp observation because it shifts the focus from criticizing Isak as an individual to examining a systemic issue.

From a tactical perspective, I believe Iraola is at a major crossroads. He has two options. First, adjust the system to make Isak the focal point of every attack, similar to how Mikel Arteta did with Kai Havertz, or how Pep Guardiola did with Erling Haaland. This would require changing the roles of wingers, central midfielders, and even the build-up approach. The risk is that Liverpool could become overly dependent on one player, making their play predictable and easier to defend. Second, find an alternative attacking solution, using Isak as part of a wider pressing system rather than the sole focal point. But this could waste a £125 million asset.

I have observed how big clubs handle similar situations. When Manchester City spent £100 million on Jack Grealish in 2026, Guardiola patiently built the system around him, despite underwhelming early returns. Grealish's first season wasn't spectacular (3 goals and 3 assists in the Premier League), but he became a key figure in the historic treble-winning 2026-23 campaign, scoring 5 goals and playing a crucial role in the Champions League run. The difference lies in patience, in the coaching staff finding ways to utilize the player's specific qualities, rather than forcing him into a pre-existing mold.

Can Iraola learn that from Guardiola? That's not an easy question to answer. But the data and on-field performances are supporting Joe Hart's view: the problem is not Isak, it's how Liverpool is using Isak.

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Contrarian: A counterpoint — Success pressure doesn't excuse the lack of patience and the media bubble around criticism

In reality, the Isak story is not simply a tactical failure. Joe Hart's criticism, though coming from an experienced expert, may be short-sighted when we look at the trajectory of players who have moved to big clubs with record fees.

Take the case of Christopher Nkunku at Chelsea. He joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig for £52 million in the summer of 2026, after a season scoring 16 goals in the Bundesliga. His debut season at Stamford Bridge was ruined by a knee injury, and he scored only 2 goals in 7 Premier League appearances. In the 2026-25 season, he improved but still hasn't lived up to his Bundesliga hero status. But who dares say Nkunku is not a talented player? The problem lies in adapting to a new league, a new style, and the pressure of a huge price tag.

Or Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. He arrived with the expectation of winning the Champions League, but after three seasons, Juventus never advanced beyond the quarter-finals. Ronaldo scored consistently, but the team didn't succeed. People said Ronaldo disrupted the team structure, that Juventus became too dependent on him. But did Juventus genuinely create the best conditions for Ronaldo? They never built a midfield creative enough to supply him. Is Liverpool repeating that mistake with Isak?

Another aspect to consider: public pressure is inflating the issue. Iraola has only managed Liverpool for 10 official matches. He is rebuilding the team's style, not just Isak's role. Joe Hart speaking out when Liverpool have only played 4 league matches this season might be an overreaction. Modern football is indulging a trend of hasty judgments. A player who scores 4 goals in a season with 18 injury-plagued matches — what does that tell us? If Isak stayed fit, would things have been different?

In reality, at Newcastle, Isak was seen playing brilliantly in a system designed around him. Brendan Rodgers, Celtic manager, once said: "To make a striker shine, you need to create 10 chances per game and let him take an average of 5 shots." At Liverpool, Isak is averaging just 2 shots per game. That cannot be solely his fault.

The numbers also show the rashness of judging after just 4 rounds. Isak has scored 1 goal — his only goal of the season, but it's only after 4 games. If he maintains this pace, he could score 9-10 goals. That's still not enough, but it dispels the worst-case scenario. The real issue is consistency and coherence.

One blind spot that pundits often ignore: Isak's injuries affect not only his physical condition but also his mentality. Struggling with recurring pain and long rehabilitation processes would make any player anxious and lose rhythm. Upon returning, he needs time to regain their touch and confidence. The expectation that he would immediately make a difference is unrealistic.

I also want to look at the direction of criticism: it may be aimed at the wrong target. Why is no one mentioning that Liverpool have conceded 6 goals in 4 matches, an average of 1.5 per game? Why is no one criticizing the defense — which has been trailing four times before having to come from behind? Liverpool's problem is not just Isak. They are struggling in transition defense, a systemic issue, not one specific to the Swedish striker.

Look at the match against Nottingham Forest: Liverpool equalized in the 23rd minute, then fell behind again in the 35th. They took a 2-1 lead in the 60th, and conceded an equalizer in the 75th. There's a pattern: Liverpool cannot hold onto a lead. This is a defensive and game-management issue, not directly related to Isak. But it's easy to blame the £125 million striker who is expected to score in every match.

Isak himself acknowledged this issue in a post-match statement: "We were leading twice in this match and twice we let the opponent equalize. This is terrible. We need to improve our ability to keep clean sheets. When you score, that's the greatest moment of the match, but right after that is the most vulnerable time. We need to be more focused in those decisive moments." These words show that Isak is not detached from the team. He cares about results, about the team's stability. So why is everything being reduced to his problem?

Here's a contrarian view: the excessive focus on Isak is obscuring deeper issues at Liverpool. If they don't quickly fix their transition defense and their lack of mental stability, they could face serious trouble in the Champions League, where the level of opposition is much higher.

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Takeaway: The upcoming Atletico Madrid match will define the Isak and Iraola narrative

There is a sense that everything is heading toward a boiling point. Liverpool are just days away from a trip to Madrid to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group stage. This is the biggest test for Iraola and Isak in the early season. A good performance at the Wanda Metropolitano will create positive momentum and dispel the criticism. Conversely, a poor result will be the catalyst to push things into crisis.

Isak also gave a statement before the Atletico match, showing optimism and commitment: "We have a great squad and a coach who understands everything. I believe we will soon find the connection. I'm not worried about that. Football takes only a few matches to show the truth." Is this genuine confidence or a way to reassure himself?

In my observation career, I have learned that public messages like this often reflect a more optimistic internal atmosphere than actual on-pitch issues. But I also realize that behind that optimism lies a hidden reality: tactical trust requires time and repetition. No player can integrate after just a few matches, especially when they have been struggling with injuries and a new environment.

Should Liverpool continue to trust Isak? The answer, based on all the data I have gathered from the training ground and matches, is yes. But they need to change how they play with him. They need to create more chances for him, get more balls into the box, build specific tactical drills for him. And they need to believe that, like Grealish at Man City, patience will ultimately pay off.

The season is still long. Isak is only 26 years old and has many years ahead of him. But football is a cruel world, and stories of "flop signings" can haunt a player for their entire career. Liverpool fans need the truth, not noise. And the current truth is: Liverpool spent £125 million on one of the most talented strikers in the world, and they don't know how to use him. The question is whether they have the patience and tactical intelligence to fix their mistake, or whether they will waste a historic opportunity.

As I left the City Ground that night, I saw Isak step onto the team bus with a dejected look. He had scored a goal, but he was clearly unsatisfied. In a season where all eyes are on him, every match is a test. Can he overcome it? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: Liverpool are at a crossroads, and what they do in the coming weeks will define their entire season.