Stan Collymore now thinks Salah and Wirtz could be a problem for Isak after watching Liverpool debut

Alexander Isak made his Liverpool debut against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, and early problems have already arisen.

The 25-year-old was excluded from the matchday squad for the 1-0 win against Burnley as he aims to return to full match fitness after missing the entirety of pre-season preparations at Newcastle United.

As previously revealed by TBR Football, Isak has impressed Liverpool’s staff with his sharpness in training, and despite expectations, he was named in the starting line-up at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

And while Liverpool supporters were pleased with Isak’s debut, ex-Reds player Stan Collymore has shared what he feels will be the forward’s main problem on Merseyside.

Alexander Isak will not be the main man at Liverpool

Collymore shared his thoughts about Isak during the match via X and believes the Swede may struggle for chances with Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz running the show.

He wrote: “Watching Isak closely tonight. Some early thoughts. Like Haaland at City, he’s going to have to get used to fox in the box mode rather than ball over the top or being found early because every team visiting Anfield will drop off, so he’s going to have to get used to the discipline of getting in the box and sometimes not seeing the ball as much as he did at Newcastle.

“He’ll be frustrated 25 mins in that despite Liverpool’s quick start, he’s not been the main outlet. No surprises who is, but any striker coming in as a record transfer while Salah is around is going to have to play second fiddle. So his work in the box and around the box has to be super focused because the temptation will be to drop off looking for the ball or taking up wide positions.

“He’s pointed 5 times where he wants it so far, clear instruction to a passer where he wants it. At Newcastle, he’d get it 3 of those times, at Liverpool, he may get none because Salah and Wirtz will get a lot of those balls. Another reason to not get down and keep making the runs. Eventually, he’ll strike up a connection with someone, but it may take time.

“Overall, good movement, pacing himself through the half, waiting to connect with someone who’ll see his runs.”

Salah surpassed Steven Gerrard in Champions League outings for the Reds and marked the occasion with a goal and an assist as he became the second-highest appearance maker for Liverpool in the Champions League.

Indeed, Isak was granted several half-chances at Anfield and came very close to scoring on his debut after his effort in the first half narrowly went past the post.

Isak played 58 minutes on his debut and was afforded only four touches in the opposition box. While he will, of course, need time to return to match sharpness for the Reds, he was often overlooked during attacks.

However, Wirtz appeared to be at the centre of almost all of Liverpool’s attacks following the second goal, and the German brought his Premier League struggles to the European stage.

The 22-year-old also came close to opening his account for the Reds in the first half – he rounded Jan Oblak in front of the Anfield Road end, but he ended up tangled with Jeremie Frimpong after a heavy touch.

How did Alexander Isak fare on his Liverpool debut?

While opposition supporters will undoubtedly cling to the fact that Liverpool’s £125 million man failed to score on his debut, he produced a solid showing all things considered.

Not many would have predicted before kick-off that Isak would line up at the start of the match or even complete just short of an hour of football on his first bow.

As things stand, it is unclear whether Collymore’s analysis holds much weight, as a definitive conclusion can only be drawn once Isak is fully fit and starting games consistently at Anfield.

Nevertheless, the lack of service for the Swede was somewhat concerning, and while he always found himself in and around the opposition area, the play was more focused in the wide areas, with almost no crosses heading in Isak’s direction.

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