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Liverpool fans have been urged to give Alexander Isak more patience as the striker’s difficult start to the season continues.
Isak suffered a nightmare week with Sweden during the international break, with his country’s hopes of reaching next year’s World Cup hanging by a thread after defeats to Switzerland and Kosovo.
Despite playing the full 90 minutes in each game, the 26-year-old fired blanks on both occasions, with Sweden needing results to go their way just to reach the play-offs now, and manager Jon Dahl Tomasson fired as a result after picking up just one point in four qualifying fixtures.
It hasn’t been the ideal start to the campaign for Isak, despite getting his wish after completing a move to Liverpool on deadline day.
Before that though, the forward had been on strike at Newcastle, and had to train separately from the rest of his former teammates, with his first game not coming until September.
Since then, he has had to steadily build up his minutes, and has scored just once in his six appearances for his new club.
His predicament hasn’t been helped either by Liverpool struggling to find any rhythm so far this season, with fellow new signings Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong also struggling, and the Reds going on a three-game losing streak before the international break.
Former England and Newcastle star Chris Waddle though believes Isak will eventually find his feet at Anfield - although he does feel the striker’s problems are of his own making.
“I think it's still a question of his fitness,” Waddle told BestBettingSites.com.
“That period where he was training on his own. He went missing, and it wasn’t a good idea, let’s be honest. He didn’t play any friendlies, and now he’s still missing sharpness and match fitness.
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“I think the fitness and sharpness will come, but it’s costing him this season, and he’s had such a high-profile move. He was so expensive, and so now everyone is expecting magic from him when he gets on the ball.
“Everyone wants a goal from him or to be wowed. He’ll come good when he gets fit, because we know what he can do from his time at Newcastle.
“We see what he's done, and what he can do in this Liverpool side. I'm sure it'll suit him. But it's just fitness with him and sharpness. I think that'll come. Unfortunately in football you never really get it, but patience is the word.”
Liverpool.com says: Isak's biggest problem is that he has come into a team that is expected to challenge for every trophy going, but he's having to play catch-up with the rest of his teammates. He will surely come good, but Liverpool really needed him ready the moment he stepped through the door.
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