Alexander Isak

[OoOGazOoO]

Aye, he's quality, and genuine CL quality in my opinion, thought this game was crying out for him to be fair, but aside from creating 1 or 2 chances with a good couple of runs, he wasn't in it.

[duo]

Not 100% fit imo but you could say that for half the squad. Saw Big Joe take some tablet (painkiller?) before the game, Tripps looked crocked halfway through the first half, Bruno was limping at the end. 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by duo

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, ryanegg said:

Come on lads, he wasn’t great but we all would have been saying different of that Bruno chance went in. 

I’ve been saying the same thing for weeks about him. He looks awful physically/mentally. Doesn’t play with any fire or intensity. Doesn’t look physically capable of intensity. 
 

I think it’s a case of carrying an injury or struggling immensely with his stamina.  

[Holloway]

Ask him where he wants to play and how,and do it

[ryanegg]

Just now, gbandit said:

No one’s questioning his ability, he’s world class. He’s my favourite player along with Joelinton. However, if you watched him off the ball, he was trotting about like a hobbled horse 

I was watching on a very small screen so I didn’t have the best view of the game. Based on others though, he definitely isn’t 100% and maybe a little scared of getting injured again. 

[TheHoob]

Think he looked better on the left today than up top recently mind, don't think he had a bad game. Do agree that something isn't right with him though. 

[ryanegg]

There’s been a few chances missed that you’d normally have your house on him to score too. Hopefully with everyone coming back we can give him a bit of a rest and he’ll be back to his best. 

[Palestoon]

My favorite player, but he's definitely lacking that spark from last season. Thought it could be fitness from the busy schedule, but he looked slow and lethargic the minute he came on. 

 

Makes me think he's not fully over his latest groin injury either physically or mentally and is reluctant to sprint or move with any explosion. 

 

[Ronaldo]

He must be carrying an injury. He’d benefit so much from us abandoning the inverted wingers and signing an improvement on Almiron though.

[The College Dropout]

There was one cross late in the game from the right. He wasn’t even in the box. 

[SUPERTOON]

Still think he’s wasted playing from the left 

[ryanegg]

Maybe we’ll see the 4-4-1-1 again like we did last season against Fulham. Really think he’d fly in that setup.

[Ronaldo]

Just now, ryanegg said:

Maybe we’ll see the 4-4-1-1 again like we did last season against Fulham. Really think he’d fly in that setup.

We didn’t start like that. It just leaves us with a big problem on 60 mins if it hasn’t worked.

[ryanegg]

2 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

We didn’t start like that. It just leaves us with a big problem on 60 mins if it hasn’t worked.

Yeah I remember, we were struggling to break them down a wee bit then we switched it up for Isak to score the winner late on. His first game back from injury if I recall? 

[The Prophet]

He's come back from a decent layoff and has been playing twice a week every week, he looked cooked v Everton and Spurs.

 

Actually thought he was really bright tonight though.

[Checko]

Tbf I think he's generally quite rubbish on the left... he stays very wide and hugs the touchline but doesn't look to get to the byline and get a cross in and doesn't look to cut in and shoot. He likes to drop deep to get the ball rather than run in behind and so doesn't cause much of a threat at all. Basically it's not really his position and I'm never sure what he's expected to do out there. He got an assist vs Southampton and there was his crazy run vs Everton last year, apart from that I don't remember being particularly impressed with him there.

 

Think we'd get the best out of him with a proper no. 10 playing behind him who he can link with. He's not a big strong Drogba type, I think he needs the Bergkamp to his Henry. The Del Piero to his Inzaghi. The Jeff Hendrick to his Chris Wood.

[Ronaldo]

Yep.

[The Butcher]

Aye, he needs a partner behind him or ahead of him.

 

I think an AM and a proper RW would do him a world of good.

[Shak]

My ideal scenario would be us signing an absolutely top class CF and allowing us some flexibility in how we use Isak.

 

His ability to play CF while also being an option from the left off a main striker should be a huge asset to a squad but with him and Wilson being fucked all year it's basically been a non-factor.

[Sean]

He's a bit of an enigma. Capable of greatness, but how do you get that out of him consistently (or at all lately)? I guess it's down to Howe to figure that one out. 

[Lush Vlad]

He has been a bit disappointing of late. But Wilson starting shows what even a half fit Isak brings to the team. 
 

May as well have put the statue of Shearer up top in place of Wilson last night. 

[Cronky]

8 hours ago, The Prophet said:

 

Actually thought he was really bright tonight though.

 

This is what I thought too. He looked decent on the left, and benefitted from only having to play the half-hour.

 

Later on, it looked like from the TV like he was switched to the centre with Joelinton on the left, and became less involved as a result.

[Displayname]

The way he just jogged back on their second goal when Milan overwhelmed our defenses really pissed me off. Had only played 20 mins prior.

Thats mental, not physical causes.

 

Used to be my favorite, now i dont know. 

[Ikon]

8 hours ago, gbandit said:

No one’s questioning his ability, he’s world class. He’s my favourite player along with Joelinton. However, if you watched him off the ball, he was trotting about like a hobbled horse 

 

He isn't world class. He has the potential ceiling of being just that. He has always struggled with consistency. Said it once we signed him that he's very up and down in quality.

Personally i don't think he will ever be consistent enough to be proper world class. He will have some games of that calibre though. His talent is undoubted. Hope i'm wrong...

[WideopenMag]

8 hours ago, The Butcher said:

Aye, he needs a partner behind him or ahead of him.

 

I think an AM and a proper RW would do him a world of good.

We should have went for Paqueta