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Alan Shearer has delivered a blunt verdict on Alexander Isak’s time at Liverpool so far, and has insisted that a lack of a pre-season can’t be used as an excuse anymore.
Isak has struggled to settle in since making his record-breaking move to Anfield on deadline day during the summer. The 26-year-old has scored just twice in 14 appearances for the Reds, having only finished behind Mohamed Salah in terms of Premier League goals last season.
He hasn’t been helped by injuries either, having been forced to sit out a month with a groin problem earlier this season, while a new issue has arisen which could see him miss this weekend’s game against Brighton.
Isak’s fitness problems and his below-par performances could be put down to the lack of preparation he had heading into the season. Having effectively gone on strike back at Newcastle, the striker was forced to train alone before he eventually arrived at Liverpool.
Shearer though feels that excuse doesn’t wash anymore, having told Betfair: "We have to stop saying that Isak hasn't had a pre-season.
“It's been three or four months now since he joined Liverpool. He's not up to speed and not the Isak that we saw at Newcastle. Whether he can be remains to be seen.
“If you look back at his time with Newcastle, most of the time in games he was receiving early balls from out wide and through the middle which isn't happening at Liverpool and probably wasn't ever going to when playing with Mo Salah because Salah isn't that type of player anyway.
“It's not working for Isak at the minute, and I guess there are several reasons for that, but people have to stop saying he hasn't had a pre-season.”
Shearer’s comments echo those of Jamie Carragher, with the former Liverpool defender having also insisted that the lack of pre-season can’t be used as an excuse for Isak now.
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“How long can you keep saying he had no pre-season? Too much is made of it,” Carragher said earlier this month.
“I did a whole pre-season and broke my leg in September, so I was out for four months.
“When I got back fit, I didn’t do a pre-season – I did a few weeks of training, played in a reserve game, and then I was back into it. I had longer off with my injury than I had in the summer.
“Of course, you need pre-season and to build your fitness – I get all that – but anyone who gets an injury during the season doesn’t get a pre-season before he comes back. It gives people too much of an excuse.”
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