Shearer urges Liverpool adjustment as Isak seeks sharper service
Liverpool’s win away at West Ham offered a valuable step forward for Alexander Isak, yet it also sparked a pointed assessment from Alan Shearer. The iconic Premier League goalscorer believes the club’s players must adapt more intelligently to the Swedish striker’s instinctive, improvisational style if they are to unlock his full potential.
Isak’s first league goal since joining in the summer arrived in a controlled 2-0 victory at London Stadium, but Shearer’s verdict made clear that the new arrival’s progress depends on a stronger on-pitch connection with those around him.
Shearer calls for earlier service into Isak
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer emphasised that Liverpool will need time to understand the nuances of Isak’s movement and decision-making. He highlighted moments where earlier deliveries into the striker could have been decisive, urging a more proactive approach from midfield and wide areas.
He described the 26-year-old’s game as inherently unpredictable – a quality that can devastate Premier League defences when supported correctly.
According to Shearer, too many opportunities to play balls into dangerous areas were missed at West Ham. His exasperated “Come on!” captured the sense that Liverpool occasionally fell short of supplying their new centre-forward with the quick service required to thrive.
When Liverpool did play forward with purpose, the reward was immediate. Isak’s half-volley at Alphonse Areola’s near post was struck with impeccable timing and technique, showcasing why the club committed such significant resources to bringing him in.
Isak’s individual brilliance highlights Liverpool’s creative gap
The breakthrough goal itself told a broader story. Rather than arriving through sustained combination play or a crafted move into the box, it was Isak’s lightning-quick execution that separated the teams.
A first-time strike squeezed between two West Ham defenders demonstrated the former Newcastle forward’s capacity to manufacture goals when the team around him is still adjusting. It is precisely this off-the-cuff quality Shearer referenced – unpredictable, explosive, but also reliant on teammates recognising moments to release him early.
Yet Liverpool’s overall creative output remains inconsistent. The lack of a fully cohesive attacking unit has placed additional pressure on Isak to create openings himself, particularly in matches where space is limited.
Isak adapting to new surroundings amid disrupted preparation
While Shearer called for Liverpool to evolve around their marquee signing, the adaptation must flow both ways.
Isak is still shrugging off the effects of an unsettled summer, a disrupted pre-season and the physical readjustments of stepping into a new tactical structure. Liverpool remain a side in transition under Arne Slot, and that recalibration has occasionally left their new No. 9 working from scraps rather than steady supply.
There were glimpses of what could come once cohesion improves. Florian Wirtz delivered his strongest performance of the campaign at the London Stadium, including a whipped ball across goal that a sharper, more settled Isak might ordinarily convert. As Wirtz grows more comfortable finding space and dictating tempo, Liverpool’s attacking patterns should evolve accordingly.
Promising signs for Liverpool’s forward line
Despite the early-season turbulence, the green shoots of a functioning partnership between Isak and his teammates are emerging. His goal at West Ham will provide both confidence and momentum, while Wirtz’s uptick in influence suggests Liverpool are edging closer to a more fluid attacking rhythm.
Shearer’s assessment serves as a timely reminder: Liverpool have acquired a forward capable of elite numbers, but maximising his impact requires a collective shift in tempo, intuition and bravery on the ball. If those adjustments follow, the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign could see Isak become a defining figure in Liverpool’s resurgence.
