What exactly does Alexander Isak do for Liverpool and Andoni Iraola?

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It seemed to be the question that a lot of people were asking during the game against Brentford. It’s a question that has been asked numerous times this season already. 

He’s barely involved for Liverpool, averaging just 24 touches per 90 and he’s not doing that much out of possession either, covering 9.8km per 90. For a bit of context on the latter stat, only Jeremy Jacquet (9.7km), Virgil van Dijk (9.1km) and Alisson Becker (5.5km) cover less ground for those in red.

Meanwhile, Florian Wirtz, his partner in attack, leads the way for the team with a distance covered per 90 average of 12.2km. Victor Munoz, Bradley Barcola and Cody Gakpo are all doing north of 10km per 90 too. 

Isak isn’t a shot magnet either, averaging just a little over three per 90. The question is a fair one. What does he do? 

Previous owners of the No9 jersey have all excelled at certain things. Roberto Firmino was busy without the ball and brilliant in possession. He didn’t get the headline figures of Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane but without him in the team, neither player scales their game to the heights they managed at Anfield.

Darwin Nunez divided opinion but with him on the pitch, things happened. He had remarkable offensive numbers, his shot numbers and his xG averages were off the charts, and he seemed to work well with Salah. 

And now there’s Isak. He doesn’t necessarily have a good understanding with any of the attacking players at Anfield outside of Gakpo. He’s not key to Andoni Iraola’s press either. He is a bit of a luxury. An expensive one at that having signed for a British transfer record of £125million. 

Yet his exploits this season are going under the radar. 

How is he supposed to do anything when he’s not involved in the game? Get the ball to him in good areas though, he might be able to shape the outcome of this game, as evidenced on multiple times this term. 

Prior to last weekend’s clash with Brentford, he’d scored winners against Ipswich and Bournemouth to go along with his equaliser against Nottingham Forest. He’d been feeding off of scraps but he’d been making the most of the moments he’d had. The key thing was to keep presenting him with moments that could influence the result.

Isak had shown a clinicalness this term that had turned opportunities into goals. 

While during his time at St James’ Park, he was more than just a poacher, Liverpool are now treating him like a bit of an exclamation point. He adds the finishing touch to things. Is it making the most of his skillset? No. But if everyone is on the same page and he knows he’s there for one or two moments, there’s no real issue.

It’s a game of patience. He has to wait for that one chance and the team has to create that one opportunity to make it all worthwhile. 

Fans just need to grin and bear it. To an extent, so does Iraola. 

The result, though? A lot of people ask what Isak does and query whether the high energy Lewis Koumas might be a better option. 

It isn’t what Liverpool fans are used to in attack, but look at how Manchester City treat Erling Haaland. He’s not heavily involved but they create chances for him. Liverpool are still a work in progress so the supply line isn’t as reliable yet, but we’re seeing what can happen.

Create for him and he’ll put the ball in the back of the net. 

Arne Slot couldn’t get Isak involved last term and it was one of the big things the new manager had to do to keep his job. Iraola hasn’t really managed to get the No9 as involved as he’d probably like yet either.

Last term, however, one of the big issues was that he was limited in possession and when he was picking up the ball, he wasn’t in or around the penalty area. 

The heatmap above is from the win over Brentford. He was barely involved, finishing his return to the starting XI with 16 touches. But look at the brightest part of the heatmap though. It’s smack bang in the middle of the penalty area.

It’s where you want your No9. It’s where you need your No9 if he’s not tasked with playing a key role in the build-up. If he’s in the team to put the finishing touches on moves, that’s where he should be. 

Isak scored the winner against the Bees. He’s now been responsible for all three of Liverpool’s victories in the Premier League. He also played a part in one of their draws.

So, the Reds have 12 points so far and he’s played a direct role in 10 of those. Football isn’t about individuals, but the 27-year-old is doing his job, isn’t he? He’s scoring goals and putting points on the board for a team in transition. 

He finished the game against Brentford with 16 touches, eight attempted passes and two goals. He completed just three of those passes and managed to get one shot on target.

Isak with the winner in West London 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/DEsUS4G8wg

Did any of that matter though when he’s able to bring Barcola’s pass down before firing an effort beyond Kelleher and into the goal? No.

Do you think Manchester City care when Haaland isn’t up to much for 99% of the game before coming to life during pivotal moments? 

Despite his inconsistent start to the season, Haaland is the only player with more goals than Isak this term. The Sweden international has five goals in six starts. He has an xG of 0.7 per 90 from his 3.1 shots per 90, and he’s not a penalty taker.

He’s getting high value chances and that’s all you can hope for as a No9. He’s had 17 shots this term and just one of those arrived from outside of the penalty area. 

We're used to false-9s and all action centre-forwards who contribute but what we have right now is a No9 who puts the ball in the back of the net.

That is what Alexander Isak does. He scores goals and wins games for Liverpool. 

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