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Before the match against Nottingham Forest, Arne Slot expressed his disappointment that Alexander Isak hadn't been able to play more for Sweden during the November international break due to a groin injury.
He then hinted at possibly having to adjust his Liverpool team selection and choose the striker over fitter players in an attempt to get his record signing fully fit and ready for action at Anfield. Slot decided to take this calculated risk against the East Midlands side, but it quickly became apparent that it was not paying off as Isak seemed far from his best in another lacklustre performance.
Isolated up front, his total of just 14 touches was significantly lower than any other Liverpool starter. None of their other outfield players had fewer than 40 touches during the 26-year-old's time on the pitch. Moreover, a poorly executed shot in the 64th minute was his only attempt on goal before he was substituted four minutes later.
Before this, he was one of only three Reds outfield players, along with Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch, who hadn't attempted a shot at goal, reports the Liverpool Echo.
In reality, the only surprise was that Isak stayed on the field past the hour mark. With Hugo Ekitike brought on after 55 minutes, the Swede would have had little grounds for complaint if he had been the one replaced by his fellow forward.
The Frenchman, having just scored his first goal for his country, may feel hard done by to have been relegated to the bench, while Federico Chiesa seemed to offer more when he came on as a substitute in place of the ex-Newcastle United player.
Isak has now donned the Liverpool jersey nine times, but his only goal to date is a simple tap-in against Championship team Southampton in a League Cup match last September.
Historically, Nottingham Forest has been the team that has sparked his scoring prowess the most. He's netted an impressive six goals against the Tricky Trees in just four Premier League matches, having scored in all previous encounters with them.
However, this streak ended rather unceremoniously with a surprising 3-0 defeat, marking another disappointing loss for the Reds - their eighth in 11 games. This dry spell dates back to when Isak made his first Premier League start for the club in an away game against Crystal Palace last September.
Slot might be frustrated that the potential risk of suspension left the British transfer record signing unable to gain valuable playing time for Sweden. However, both player and club continue to bear the consequences of his disjointed pre-season at Newcastle, where he essentially went on strike to force through his late deadline day departure.
It's important to note that Isak isn't the root cause of Liverpool's current struggles. The club's record signing is merely one part of a much larger puzzle that Slot is still trying to piece together.
However, he didn't manage to justify his head coach's risk, with his subdued performance only emphasising the amount of work he still needs to do to regain the form that initially earned him a transfer to Anfield.
The disappointment that he has yet to live up to his hefty price tag continues. Even when Liverpool had the upper hand against Forest before falling behind, he never seemed likely to score.
In retrospect, following such a defeat, it's easy to say that Slot made an error in choosing to start him. But it was a selection decision that should not have been made.
When the Dutchman guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season, it seemed like everything he did turned to gold as every single decision paid off. However, after another uninspiring loss, those days now seem far in the past.
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