Why finger of blame is not pointed in Alexander Isak’s direction at Liverpool - with Michael Owen explaining bigger picture around £125m striker

Isak became the most expensive player in British football when leaving Newcastle and heading to Merseyside. Having forced through that move, he joined the Reds without a proper pre-season programme under his belt.

That led to a slow start being endured in new colours, while a broken leg suffered in December 2025 further derailed bids to build consistency and confidence. More was expected from the talented 26-year-old this season.

He did net three times across back-to-back Premier League meetings with Nottingham Forest and Ipswich, but has gone three games since that mini-purple patch without finding the target.

Questions continue to be asked of his contribution to the collective cause and whether the right mindset is being adopted by the Sweden international when it comes to delivering on lofty expectations.

Asked if injuries are the only thing that have been holding Isak back, or whether there are any other concerns, former Liverpool striker Owen - who now serves as Casino.org's ambassador, helping British players compare the best online casinos selected for UK players - told GOAL: “I don't think it's fitness now, he's been back in the fold for a fair amount of time, finished the season off, and then went to a World Cup, and then had a full pre-season etc.

“So I don't think fitness is the problem now, but the hard thing is when you're playing in a team, and Liverpool did struggle last year, and when he was fit, it was a struggling team. We could point the finger at [Florian] Wirtz, we could point the finger at virtually everybody bar [Dominik] Szoboszlai last season. When you're the big signing, all eyes go to you, but who apart from Szoboszlai did themselves justice last season? It's really hard.

“And conversely, we've seen Liverpool in the past, under Jurgen Klopp, when people think there's a few average players in and around the squad, when the momentum comes, when you start getting something going, all of a sudden these [Andy] Robertsons and [James] Milners and [Jordan] Hendersons that everybody thought they were journeymen pros back in the day, all of a sudden, everybody now thinks they're the most vital cogs in any wheel in any team.

“What I'm trying to say is, rising tides sort of lift all boats in a way, and all we're doing is blaming Isak when there was a lot that was wrong with Liverpool last season, and he's just got the blame, and then to a certain extent, Wirtz. But again, that's only because they're probably the two most expensive.”

Wirtz is another lavish addition at Anfield that is still searching for a lost spark, with the German playmaker seeing a £116m ($155m) price tag hung around his neck. He is charged with providing the ammunition that will allow Isak and Co to fire on all cylinders.

Liverpool, who remain unbeaten across all competitions this season, have one more game to take in before reaching the first international break of 2026-27. That contest will see them take in a trip to head coach Andoni Iraola’s former employers, Bournemouth, on Sunday.