ARNE SLOT CONFIDENT ALEXANDER ISAK WILL IGNITE LIVERPOOL ATTACK SOON
Liverpool boss Arne Slot says record signing Alexander Isak's "pre-season is over" and he is now at the fitness level to be judged fairly, potentially starting against Manchester United.
Alexander Isak, a British record signing, is finally at a level where he can be completely effective, according to Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, who insists the striker's season begins now.
Since leaving Newcastle on deadline day, the £125 million transfer has only played 313 minutes in six games and scored once, in a Carabao Cup victory over Southampton. The club wanted to ease him into life at Anfield after he missed the entire preseason.
Despite failing to score in two World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo during the international break, Isak has played an additional 198 minutes for Sweden.
Slot, however, stated that the 26-year-old was now prepared to play ahead of the visit from bitter rivals Manchester United.
"I believe he has now had his five or six weeks of pre-season, which is typical for all players, particularly those who have missed three or four months," the Dutchman stated.
He is about at his proper level of fitness, so going forward, we can evaluate him fairly.
"I understand how this business operates; obviously, it is not what you are expecting if he plays in Sweden twice and does not score.
"If they play for the national team, you are expecting they will score goals like Cody (Gakpo), Virgil (van Dijk), Dominik (Szoboszlai), or (Alexis) Mac Allister did, but he didn't.
"I think his preseason is over now; he has played 70, 80, and 90 minutes in a few games, so we will see how he does in the next few weeks."
He is nearly at his ideal level of fitness, so going forward, we can evaluate him fairly.
Other players have had difficulty in the early going of the season besides Isak.
Several members of Slot's team, including midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, had been playing poorly even before they dropped three straight games.
Slot thinks that the former, who has also been impacted by his lack of full fitness, is back to his best after scoring twice in Argentina's friendly victory over Venezuela.
"It is evident that he regrettably missed out on a lot. After we won the league, he was hurt right away, and we thought he would return for the start of the preseason, but he didn't," the head coach continued.
He went in and out, in and out for 60 minutes, and in and out for 45 minutes as a result, which is never ideal for a player. This prevented him from playing three times in a row.
"But like everyone else, he is a player who has gone through a lot in his career, and he will return to the level that I and he desire."
In addition to scoring twice as Egypt qualified for the World Cup against Djibouti, Salah has come under fire for his overall performance, especially defensively against Chelsea, who targeted Liverpool's right flank. His return of four goals in ten games falls short of his expected high levels.
"I can show you the five or six instances where Mo could have made the difference for us, but I also heard Marc Cucurella's remarks and witnessed how they scored the 2-1," Slot continued.
Had it occurred, we would have had the same discussion as we did during the previous season, when he repeatedly made the difference for us. If it does not occur, statements like this one are most likely to occur.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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