2 weeks ago
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Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand says Liverpool striker Alexander Isak will come good at Anfield — but he has questioned how quickly that will happen for one simple reason.
Isak was brought in from Newcastle on deadline day for a British record fee of $169 million (£125 million), needing to get fit after missing most of the summer. But Ferdinand says his biggest challenge will actually be getting used to playing in a team that is set up differently from his previous one.
"Isak, at the moment, is in transition from a new team, new culture, a new changing room, etc," Ferdinand said on his podcast. "New responsibilities, new pressures, and he hasn’t hit the ground running like a lot of us would have expected.
"I think you've got to take into consideration this is a very different set-up. It's a very different team.
"He’s gone from a team that played with flying wingers who were just getting the ball in the box, getting down the sides, smashing the ball across the box to playing against teams with a high line and running onto things as well.
"He was the guy they were playing into. Now they first look to Mohamed Salah right, and the second look is probably one of the midfielders, and then he might be third or fourth look.
"He’s playing with two inverted wingers who both want to come inside now rather than two wingers who are flying down the wing to provide chances for him.
"It’s such a different set-up to what he’s been used to. Again, when you’re recruiting players, are you accounting for what it’s going to be like and [what] the differences are going to be here and can that player adapt?
"Now, listen, we’re all sitting there going Isak is a sure certain thing he’s going to fly. He’s going to do his thing at Liverpool and I think he will in time.
"But there’s an adaptation period now which he’s got to adjust to quickly before people really start getting on his back.
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"We’re seeing people post Liverpool [versus] Man United saying where is he, what’s he doing? He’s even becoming a bit of a meme at times.
"I think it’s too early to judge him but there are big differences between the Newcastle set-up in attacking sense compared to Liverpool."
Liverpool.com says: Isak has been getting up to speed after missing the summer and then has relationships to build with those around him when the likes of Salah are not playing well. It's a tough environment in which to thrive immediately.
In time, it certainly would be a surprise if he didn't find his form. Isak, unlike Florian Wirtz, has already proven himself in the Premier League, so the adaptation period being shorter would be the logical expectation.
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