Gary Cotterill reflects on Alexander Isak's drawn-out move to Liverpool on deadline day and the implications it has had as the Reds' new striker joins Sweden ahead of their World Cup qualifiers with Slovenia and Kosovo.
This summer turned out to be a summer of strikers. Of course, there were no pickets, but many were not ready to gather.
Yoane Vissa imposed his will at Brentford, Victor Dioceres played tough at Sporting, but the union organiser of the unrest was undoubtedly Alexander Isak.
To make the move from Newcastle to Liverpool, he put his work on hold for 14 weeks. He trained alone for three months without playing.
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He blushed to be red and hated every second of it because, at the end of the day, no matter how big they are or how much they earn, all footballers really want to do is be on the pitch.
They want to be on the field, on the training ground and with their teammates.
Isak smiles again with Sweden
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Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson explains how he can get the most out of Victor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak when they play together for their country.
Of course, none of us saw Isak this summer, but I can guarantee there were few smiles.
That's why the first thing Sweden head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson said when he saw Isak training with the group for the first time in a long time was: “He's smiling. Have you seen his face? He's so happy to be here. That says a lot about how much he enjoys being in the group.”
I also saw this smile of Isak's in Stockholm.
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Liverpool's video announcement of Isak following his £125million transfer from Newcastle
It was a wide, happy smile. Even wider than the one he had worn 24 hours earlier when he posed in his new Liverpool No.9 shirt.
I think the stress of a tough summer and the fatigue of a long deadline were reflected in these pictures. He looked distinctly exhausted as I watched him arrive at the Swedish team hotel at 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
However, ten hours later, it seemed as if a weight had been lifted from his very expensive shoulders.
“Isak is eager to move on”
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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes Alexander Isak needs game time if he is to become a Liverpool starter as soon as possible, with the Swedish striker yet to feature this season.
Together with his teammates at the training base in the rural Lidingö district of Stockholm, he started with training in the gym.
Journalists have been warned not to expect him to show up. We are told he may prefer to stay out of the public eye and continue his indoor fitness programme.
Not at all.
After training alone for so long, he was clearly eager to train with everyone else. He smiled as he walked down the stairs from the gym. There were about a dozen steps. He jumped down the last three, desperate to get started.
He's finally there, with his teammates, doing what he was born to do.
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He made it clear to Tomasson that he was not just going to train. He wanted to take part in Sweden's World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Kosovo.
Tomasson calls him a “game-changer” and says he WILL get minutes, but after talking to Arne Slot and Liverpool's medical and fitness staff, he promises not to take any risks with Isak.
“We're not going to do anything stupid with him. But we have a plan,” Tomasson said.
“Usually there's a lot of training and games in pre-season. But with Alex it's different.
“He's a game-changer. But can he play the full 90 minutes? Of course not.”
Tomasson has options, so he will be careful with Isak, but he knows his team will play better with him.
He likes to play with two strikers, Isak and Diokeres. These days it's not one striker, but two in different senses.
Dioceres has hit back at the “striker” label. He disagrees that players' influence has gone too far. This week, he said that what clubs consider acceptable behaviour should be seen by players as fair play.
“The clubs have the most power. In many cases, it is difficult for players to choose (their future),” he told me.
“When a player is not wanted by the club, it's the opposite. He has no power. The club can do whatever they want with the player, so it's difficult. That's the situation.”
After his controversial departure from Sporting, he knows better than most what it was like for Isak.
Is he glad the transfer window is closed?
Pictured: Isak in a Liverpool kit after his move was announced on Deadline Day
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “That's what you want. You don't want to be stuck in this forever.”
I'm sure Isak will say, “I hear you, I hear you.”
Every Swedish player I spoke to this week was fully supportive of Isak's determined stance this summer. He has one big fan in the team.
Celtic summer signing Benjamin Nygren plans to spend a fair amount of time with Isak.
“I'm looking forward to playing with him in a Liverpool kit in FIFA,” he said.
We won't see Isak in a Liverpool shirt until next Sunday against Burnley, live on Sky Sports.
In the meantime, he is making good use of his time with the Swedish national team, preparing physically and mentally for his long-awaited Liverpool debut.
Sourse: skysports.com
