Alexander Isak’s dangerous return to St James’ Park

There are reunions that players relish. Alexander Isak’s return to St James’ Park on Sunday will not fall into that category. Newcastle supporters will make their feelings known and there is little he can do to influence that. His task is simpler. Concentrate on becoming the player Liverpool believed they were signing, and begin winning over those fans now watching him in red.

This Premier League opener arrives one year after the statement that detonated his Newcastle exit, with Isak declaring that the relationship cannot continue because of broken promises and eroded trust. Twelve months on, his Liverpool career has yet to catch fire. The anticipation that accompanied his arrival has not been matched by output.

Was signing Alexander Isak a mistake?

Isak missed this fixture last season, though his absence did not stop the conversation revolving around him. Some would argue the real Isak has still not reappeared. Three Premier League goals in his first Liverpool campaign barely hinted at why the club committed £130m to bring him to Anfield.

Without a proper pre-season, he arrived not fully fit, and that undermined his ability to make an immediate impact. A fractured fibula in December removed the chance to build rhythm — the commodity strikers depend on more than most. But the fee was not plucked from thin air. It reflected a record that Newcastle fans remember clearly.

The hostility awaiting him on Sunday stems from the sense of betrayal felt in the Gallowgate End and beyond, but it also acknowledges his contribution. In his final two seasons at Newcastle, only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah scored more Premier League goals. That is the level he operated at.

He was the player who scored what became the decisive goal against Liverpool. Ironically, that goal ended Newcastle’s 56-year wait for a major trophy. Elegant and willowy, he never possessed the physical presence of a traditional terrace hero, but his cool, clinical finishing from all angles made him one. He was the striker who made difficult chances look routine.

Is this the season Alexander Isak shines for Liverpool?

There is little value in revisiting every detail of last summer, but what is clear is that Isak’s first year in a Liverpool shirt was largely lost. Their supporters have not seen enough of those first-time finishes, the striker who glides across the pitch, always appearing to have time, always threatening to decide matches.

For Isak, who turns 27 next month, that must change. This is why a fixture loaded with emotional weight is actually more about what comes next than what came before. One year on from that record-breaking move, the question is simple: can he still become the player Liverpool thought they were buying?

Unlike others whose summer workloads raise concerns about fatigue, Isak’s World Cup involvement should help rather than hinder. There have been positive signs. He scored against Monaco. Against Como, the evidence was subtler, but it was there if you looked closely.

His best moment came early, a measured strike from an angle that clipped the foot of the far post. It was an effortless finish, Isak at his best. Precision over power, technique over force, the sort of attempt that leaves you wondering how the goalkeeper was beaten even when he wasn’t.

More intriguingly, there were glimpses of him winning the ball high up the pitch. In the 14th minute, he nicked possession, though Florian Wirtz could not convert the chance. Pressing is a trait Iraola demands, and Isak must embrace it more consistently.

A strong pre-season could be the key

It is clear Iraola is asking his players to do things that are a little bit different, especially without the ball. The physical demands of Iraola’s system, rather than any technical or tactical deficiency, are likely to dictate Isak’s success.

For example, Isak actually outperformed his expected goals for a fourth consecutive Premier League season last year. He remains an excellent finisher. While Arne Slot lamented Liverpool’s inability to take chances, Isak’s issue was simpler: he was not getting on the end of them. His strike-rate was the lowest of his English career.

Again, the explanation is probably physical. His top speed last season dipped. Rediscovering that spark is essential. In the sixth minute against Como, there was applause when he chased a ball down the right channel but could not reach it. The intent was there; the execution was not.

It appears that Wirtz  and Isak are working on their connection. It did not fully click at the weekend. Their best moment of interplay came early in the second half when Wirtz set him up, only for Isak to skew his shot well wide. It was a reminder that timing and sharpness still need refining.

There were other nearly moments. Isak hesitating on the edge of the box after 70 seconds, allowing the chance to disappear. Cody Gakpo darting brilliantly between two defenders only for Isak’s touch to be loose. Groans when he failed to read a Dominik Szoboszlai dummy. These are the details that separate a striker in rhythm from one searching for it.

Looking ahead to the new season

Hints and clues, then, but not the emphatic evidence that Isak is fully fit and ready to fire. Not the striker Liverpool bought. Not the sure thing, the goal machine, the difference maker. When he steps out at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon, it will be an opportunity for him. Not to rewrite the past, but to begin shaping the future.

A reunion without sentiment. A stage without sympathy. A moment that demands clarity. If Alexander Isak is to reignite his Liverpool career, this is as good a time as any to start.

Featured Image courtesy of Liverpool Football Club 

By Faz Ali

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