Alexander Isak's Liverpool struggles blamed on Arne Slot after being 'messed around'
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Alexander Isak has been a shadow of his former self since joining Liverpool from Newcastle United, and former Premier League striker Dwight Yorke has had his say on the Swede's struggles at AnfieldFormer Liverpool head coach Arne Slot (left) with record signing Alexander Isak(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Alexander Isak has failed to replicate the form that saw him wreaking havoc for opposition defences during his Newcastle United days since returning from a serious injury sustained at Liverpool, but the Sweden international hasn't been aided by Arne Slot's tactical adjustments.That's the view of ex-Premier League forward Dwight Yorke, who has offered his assessment of the Reds' record-breaking summer acquisition. I was a huge fan of his when he was at Newcastle United but I never knew the injuries that he has had so I don't know what kind of mentality he has needed to come back from that to be the same player."Isak will now be hoping to hear exactly that from Iraola, after the Spaniard succeeded Slot in becoming Liverpool's next head coach.
After major injuries you've never quite the same and he hasn't looked anywhere near to the player I loved at Newcastle."That might be a little bit of a concern for Liverpool but I think he's working extremely hard. I'm just not sure if that's going to happen for him.Alexander Isak in action at the World Cup(Image: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)"It'll be interesting to see how he gets on this season under the new manager, Andoni Iraola, and how he sees it and what he wants to do with the team."Yorke also delivered a scathing assessment of former Liverpool head coach Slot's habit of alternating Isak with fellow summer acquisition Hugo Ekitike, leaving the Swedish striker in limbo as he attempted to cement his position as Liverpool's leading forward."When Ekitike was keeping Isak out of the team, you're not feeling like you're worth £120m and that's when the doubts start to kick in," added Yorke.
Liverpool were never going to get the best out of a player like Isak in that environment, I don't think."If you're a striker, you want to be told you're the number one, and if you're not getting that message from the manager, then you've got a long season ahead of you. It's not the situation you want to be in."