Michael Owen: Liverpool star is ‘running out of excuses’

Alexander Isak Under Pressure at Liverpool After Newcastle Return Raises Fresh Questions

Alexander Isak has reached the point where sympathy starts to dry up and scrutiny starts to bite. That is the reality for any striker signed for £125m, and it becomes sharper at Liverpool, where the centre-forward is judged on output before anything else.

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In the aftermath of Liverpool's trip to St James' Park, Michael Owen on talkSPORT delivered a verdict that was direct and hard to argue with. "I know how hard it is to get back and you do need time. He has been given plenty of time – he finished the season in the team, then went to the World Cup and has had a pre-season.

"Now he is starting to run out of excuses. We need to see the real Isak. We saw how good he can be at Newcastle, but we haven't seen it in a red shirt yet. Questions will come now. At the start of the season, there are expectations, and Liverpool need him."[Mo] Salah has gone, [Hugo] Ekitike is out, and he needs to deliver. Against Newcastle, he was a yard off it, and that is worrying. He is the big-money signing, and I can't say he played well because he didn't."

That is blunt, but this is elite football. There is no point dancing around it. Isak's injury-hit opening campaign bought him understandable patience. A broken leg that wipes out four months changes everything. Timing goes, rhythm goes, confidence dips. Yet there comes a moment when the context stops protecting you. Liverpool are there now.

Newcastle display highlighted familiar issue

His return to St James' Park was always going to be loaded. The jeers were predictable, the atmosphere hostile, the narrative obvious. None of that matters in the cold assessment that follows. He completed the full match, but he never truly controlled it. There were moments when service into him was poor, and Liverpool's supply line did him few favours. That much is fair. A striker cannot finish chances that never arrive.

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Still, top forwards do more than wait. They impose themselves, occupy defenders, sharpen the attack and punish the one opening that drops their way. Isak did not do enough of that. He managed a couple of efforts on target and competed physically well enough in duels, but the overall picture remained underwhelming. His passing numbers were poor, his sharpness looked missing and his threat level never matched what Liverpool require from a leading No 9.

Liverpool need output, not mitigation

The bigger issue is squad context. Liverpool are short on margin. Hugo Ekitike is sidelined until the end of 2026, and Mohamed Salah has gone. That strips away goals, gravity and attacking certainty. Under Andoni Iraola, the system will demand intensity and directness, but systems do not score on their own. Strikers do.

Isak's record at Newcastle, 62 goals in 109 games, proves this ability is real. Nobody is questioning whether the talent exists. The question is when Liverpool will see it consistently. That is a different discussion, and a more urgent one.

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He is 26, fully established, and no longer in the category of a player learning the level. Liverpool did not pay £125m for a long bedding-in period. They paid for a proven scorer who can decide matches. At some stage, the fee becomes part of the judgement because that fee reflects responsibility.

Nottingham Forest now becomes a test

The next match against Nottingham Forest at Anfield now carries more significance than it should this early in a season. That is what happens when a major signing underperforms in a high-profile fixture. The conversation accelerates.

For Isak, the route out is simple, even if doing it is not. Move better, combine quicker, attack the box with more conviction and take the chance when it comes. A striker changes the mood with one finish. Until then, the questions Owen raised will only get louder.

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Our View

From a Liverpool supporter's point of view, this feels like one of those moments where everyone needs to keep a bit of perspective, but also be honest. Isak was poor at Newcastle. There is no point pretending otherwise. He looked short of sharpness and never really gave their defenders enough to worry about. For a striker of his quality, that has to improve quickly.

At the same time, some of the reaction can get carried away. Liverpool did not exactly create a stream of clear chances for him, and centre-forwards always take the blame first when the attack lacks rhythm. Supporters will back him if they see work rate, movement and belief. That part still matters.

The main thing now is timing. With Ekitike unavailable and Salah gone, Liverpool need their main striker to become the focal point straight away. There is no ideal easing-in period here. Iraola will want a front line that presses hard, runs hard and finishes efficiently. If Isak can score against Nottingham Forest, the noise drops immediately and the mood changes. That is how it works at big clubs.

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Most fans will probably feel the same, concern is fair, panic is pointless. He has the talent, he has shown it before, and Liverpool need to see it now. The patience is not gone, but it is definitely being tested.

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