Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a frank assessment of his team's inability to maximise the talents of club-record signing Alexander Isak, admitting they must learn from how Manchester City utilise Erling Haaland.
A quiet start for the £125m man
The Swedish striker, who joined from Newcastle United for £125 million, scored his first Premier League goal for the Reds in last Sunday's victory at West Ham. However, he was unable to build on that momentum during Wednesday's midweek draw with Sunderland, enduring another subdued performance.
Slot has consistently pointed to Isak's missed pre-season—a period where the player effectively forced his exit from St James' Park—as a key reason for his slow integration. However, the Dutch coach now acknowledges that the team's tactical setup is also a significant factor.
Slot's tactical admission and Haaland comparison
"He is not the only number nine who suffers in some games from not getting many chances," Slot stated. "At this level it's not like the number nine is involved in eight, nine, ten chances every single half. But it is obvious and clear that we want to bring him into more threatening situations."
The head coach highlighted a recent shift in the team's approach, becoming more compact and less risky, which has inadvertently reduced chance creation. "It is definitely one of the things on my list of things to improve," he added, emphasising the need to involve Isak more in the final third.
Slot directly referenced Manchester City's prolific striker when analysing the issue. "I have no clue what the stats of Haaland are but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't touch it 100 times a game, but he does score a lot," he said. "It is more important that they touch the ball at the right times than to touch it so many times. Haaland touches it much more where it matters and that’s where we need to improve. It is clear and obvious."
Bradley returns for Leeds trip
In more positive news for Liverpool, Slot confirmed that defender Conor Bradley is available for selection ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to face Leeds United. The return of the full-back offers a welcome boost to the squad's defensive options.
The focus, however, remains firmly on unlocking the potential of their marquee attacking signing. With Isak averaging just 14 touches per game in his last three starts, the challenge for Slot and his coaching staff is to design a system that delivers the ball to the striker in dangerous areas, much as City do for their Norwegian goal machine.
