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Arne Slott Didn’t always like the opportunity for discussion alexander isaacthe number is less liverpoolHowever this time there was a difference,
Their £125m striker still has Premier League’s only goal But the theme was Isaac’s participation in the game in general, with him averaging just 12.3 in his last three appearances.
He works in a situation where less can be more. It could be a simple criticism of Erling Haaland that he barely stays on the ball. The Norwegian could nevertheless average close to a goal per game; Even more so this season.
For Isaac, less is less. He had 13 touches on Wednesday Congestion by SunderlandOf course, there were three shots, although there were opportunities of lesser caliber, “He’s not the only No, 9 who has suffered from not getting many chances in some games,” Slott argued,
“At this level, it’s not like the No. 9 is involved in eight, nine, 10 chances every half. But it’s clear and obvious that we want to get him into more dangerous situations.”
The key to slots is quality of touch, not quantity. “Do you know how many times on average he touched the ball at Newcastle? 22. In this league, strikers don’t touch the ball that much, but the few times they do touch it, it’s good enough that they finish it.
“I don’t know what Haaland’s stats are, but he doesn’t touch it 100 times a game, but he scores a lot. It’s more important that he touches the ball at the right time than touching it so many times. We have to make sure there is a whole lot of difference between Haaland and Alex; Haaland touches it more where it matters and that’s where we are.” [must] Improvement. It is clear and obvious.”
In terms of statistics per 90 minutes – and the Swede has rarely played a full game in the slot so far – he has been involved in less than that: 21.9 touches so far with Liverpool, 33.5 at Newcastle last season. How much of this can be attributed to fitness, a lack of understanding with new teammates or the opponents’ deep and strong defence, is a debatable issue.
But if there were tactical issues, the other factor was Liverpool’s determination to stop the losing run. While Isak opened his top-flight account for Liverpool at West Ham last Sunday, Slott still feels he has faced a trade-off from attempting to be less open and attacking. “Because we’re a little more compact and not taking as many risks, we haven’t been able to create as many chances as we have in previous games.”
Newcastle’s method of finding Isaac often involved Jacob Murphy. They were the most prolific double act in the division last season, with Murphy getting seven assists for Isaac’s goal. But he is a right-footed right-winger; He has no real counterpart in this Liverpool team, unless Federico Chiesa is described that way. “But it is clear and obvious that we do not have a profile of Jacob Murphy available at this time,” Slott acknowledged.
Of course, Liverpool have a player on the right wing who contributed 18 Premier League assists last season, but that has dropped to two so far thanks to Mohamed Salah. His preference is to make infield cuts on his left foot. In any case, he has been ruled out for the last two matches. The only help Isaac received so far was from Kodi Gakpo.
Meanwhile, Slott has used Dominik Szoboszlai on the right against West Ham and Sunderland, hiding on the wing. He suggested he wanted the full-back to be part of Isak’s supply line.
“With Jeremy [Frimpong] wound up and conor [Bradley] Being outside, it’s not like we have a lot of options on the right and it’s the same on the left.” He added: ”They might benefit from maybe a Connor Bradley or Jeremy Frimpong-type player who goes outside, rather than having both wingers who come inside and full-backs who can come in with the crosses we have.
“But the main difference for them is that we are facing low blocks a lot more often here and it’s not that it never happened at Newcastle, but not as much. This season, the league has changed: we have seen a lot more low blocks than last season. Not just against us; I see it in many games.
“It makes it harder for him than his time at Newcastle, but I think it also helps him adjust to his teammates and help his teammates adjust to him.”
Those lower blocks can negate Isaac’s speed. The same can be said about Haaland, but his height provides another dimension. But if Isaac’s one strength goes down, so do his goal returns and shot count. He has no Murphy, his eclectic CV includes Swindon, Southend, Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Colchester. They bought a different kind of creator in Florian Wirtz.
But if the responsibility is on the German, it is also on Slott. He added: “It’s definitely on my list of things to improve on to get our number 9 more involved in the game and more in the final third.”