“Shadow of the player” – Micah Richards takes aim at struggling Liverpool star

Liverpool are currently in a poor moment, having lost three of their last four matches in all competitions – the latest of those defeats coming against Man United on Sunday. Arne Slot’s side are struggling to gel, and in particular, their big-money summer signings are not stepping up.

The biggest of those signings was Alexander Isak, who arrived from Newcastle in a British transfer record deal worth £125m. His signing promised a lot, but so far, he has been very underwhelming, as his goalless run in the Premier League continued against Man United.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast (via Football Insider), Micah Richards spoke on Isak, whom he sees several levels before the one he showed at Newcastle over the last few seasons.

“This whole debacle of what happened in the summer, it’s showing. He’s not fit. Arne Slot said in a press conference before that now we’re going to see the real lsak because he looks like he’s going to be fit now. But the chance that he had in the game, if he’s at Newcastle, he tucks that away.”

Richards was also clear that Isak should be dropped from the starting line-up for the foreseeable future, with Hugo Ekitike being the one to replace him.

“Ekitike is the better nine at the moment. It’s as simple as that. He’s fitter, he’s sharper. When he came on, he created chances for himself. The change of formation to try and accommodate both of the strikers when it went to sort of a 4-2-4, it looked like at one stage in the game. Then they bring Isak off.

“I just think Ekitike settled in better and he’s had a better pre-season. It’s as simple as that, but he has to play.”

It certainly has not been an easy start to life for Isak at Liverpool, but he does have a lot of time to come good. Slot will hope he does, although it may be best if he is taken out of the firing line for now, as he has also done with Florian Wirtz.

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