It’s fair to say that Alexander Isak hasn’t exactly hit the ground running at Liverpool since his British record move from Newcastle United. However, this hasn’t come as a surprise to many, given his limited training time and lack of match practice.
In fact, the first time he kicked a ball in competitive action during the 2025/26 season was on September 8th, 2025, when he featured for Sweden against Kosovo in the UEFA European Qualifiers. Due to his lack of fitness and minimal preparation since joining Liverpool, he had yet to make his debut for the club and was not deemed fit enough to even come off the bench in Sweden’s earlier qualifier against Slovenia a few days prior.
A player usually arrives back in pre-season in early July, but of course, Isak was so dead set on leaving Newcastle after failed, broken promises, he went through his own training regime, which led to him having a delayed start. Yes, it is his own choice and point of call, but having seen what happened to Marc Guéhi, whose move to Liverpool collapsed on deadline day due to Palace failing to find a suitable replacement… can you blame him for doing so?
Isak reported for Liverpool training for the first time on Wednesday, 10th September, which was just four days before Liverpool’s trip to Burnley. Slot chose not to risk playing the Swede, allowing him extra time to build fitness and gel with the team before throwing him into the deep end.
“We got him from Newcastle in a state where you could say his pre-season is going to start now,” Slot said of Isak. “He needs proper minutes of training before he has a certain base, let alone for him to play twice in three days.
“So that’s what we do, we try to prepare players for the beginning of the season once a week, and then we try to do more and more and more before we go into the rhythm of two games a week, so that they are ready for that schedule.”
The Swedish international would make his debut just days later in Liverpool’s opening Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid, where Liverpool perhaps put in their best performance of the season so far, racing into a 2-0 lead, before Atleti fought back and Liverpool won it at the death.
Although Isak didn’t score, there were plenty of signs of the talent, pace, and skill he possesses, albeit while being far from 100% and having had hardly any time to train with his new teammates.
“That’s why he wasn’t involved in the Burnley game, so he could have a few proper sessions during the time he was with us,” Slot explained.
“That’s what you need in pre-season as well; you don’t start playing friendlies, you start with a proper training week and at the end of that training week you can play 45, maybe 60 minutes.”
Isak’s best Liverpool moment to date would come against Southampton in a League Cup fixture, when some great work from Federico Chiesa placed the ball on a plate after he hunted it down, as the Swede opened his account for the Reds with a lovely, composed finish.
With Slot clearly managing his minutes carefully. He was subbed at half-time as his fitness work continued, but he even went through sprints during the break, which is something you usually see players do after a game if they were unused or late substitutes.
Isak then made a substitute appearance in the Merseyside derby, which the Reds ran out 2-1 winners, getting his first taste of one of English football’s fiercest rivalries. Even though his involvement was limited, it marked another small step in his gradual integration into the team.
Since then, things haven’t gone to plan for club or country, as Sweden suffered two defeats and Liverpool have endured four losses in a row in all competitions. However, it’s unfair to pin any of these results on Isak, who is effectively only just coming to the end of what is still his pre-season period.
In the United defeat, the whole team looked better after the introduction of Florian Wirtz, who came on with 28 minutes of the second half to play.
Wirtz, who has taken some criticism recently, showed in glimpses what he can bring to Liverpool in the coming years. And we already know what Isak is capable of from his time at Newcastle United, with nufc blog aggregator platforms still following his progress. Things will eventually click, and when they do, people will quickly realise they were judging certain players far too soon.
Liverpool created enough chances to beat their bitter rivals, with the woodwork denying them on three occasions, as well as a few wasted opportunities. On another day, things could have been very different, and maybe once the new boys have had more minutes together, that moment will come.
People seem to forget that several Liverpool players have struggled to hit the ground running from the very start, but went on to have long, successful careers.
Take Roberto Firmino, who initially struggled to find his feet. Dominic Szoboszlai had a strong first few games, then dipped before massively improving during their title-winning season.
Jordan Henderson’s talents were overlooked when he originally joined from Sunderland, yet he went on to become a key driving force in Liverpool’s midfield during their successful period under manager Jürgen Klopp.
Andrew Robertson had to wait his turn before being integrated into the squad, which only happened when Alberto Moreno picked up an injury against Spartak Moscow and from that moment on, Robertson claimed his place and never looked back.
Each example listed above brought different reasons and different struggles, and with Isak, it’s a matter of not rushing to judgment. He’s still finding his rhythm, building fitness, and learning how to link up with his new teammates. Like many before him, he needs time. Time to adapt, time to gel, and time to prove why Liverpool invested so heavily in him.
Liverpool’s recent history proves that a slow start doesn’t define a player’s future at the club. Firmino, Henderson, Robertson, and others all needed time, and Isak is no different. With full fitness approaching, minutes increasing, and understanding within the team growing, it’s only a matter of time before he finds his stride. The real judgement should come months from now, not weeks.
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