Alexander Isak has finally addressed the questions surrounding his controversial decision to sit out Newcastle United’s pre-season tour before ultimately joining Liverpool. The striker’s actions were branded “participating in a strike” by Eddie Howe, but Isak had previously avoided mentioning the summer period when he refused to take part in Newcastle’s trip to the Far East.
Isak further antagonized Howe by choosing to train alone in Spain while his former teammates prepare for the 2025/26 season. When asked by Sky Sports’ Pat Davison about the impact of missing pre-season, Isaac said: “It’s hard to say. Of course as a footballer you want to be in the flow and play every game and train in every training session.”
“But it’s not new. Sometimes we get injured and sometimes we miss matches and training. That’s not new. I’m just trying to get back to my best.”
Isak scored his first goal for Liverpool against West Ham last weekend, but failed to find the back of the net against Sunderland in midweek.
Reflecting on his departure from Newcastle, Isak told Sky Sports: “I don’t have much regrets. It’s in the past and this is where I’m focused. It’s best to stay in the moment.”
The £130m deal also promises to significantly improve Liverpool’s performance, adding: “Of course I expect more.
“I always do that. Even when I’m doing really well, I want to do more. So that’s not a problem for me. I’m just trying to stay positive and trying to do better. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Of course, I know when I’m doing well and when I’m not doing well. I know before anyone else and I know best. I don’t need anyone to tell me how I’m doing. That’s not a problem for me.”
Manager Arne Slott recently admitted that Liverpool were not playing to Isak’s strengths and insisted they needed to start making the most of their record signing.
“Obviously we want to put him in more threatening situations,” the Reds manager said.
“We had a lot of chances until we conceded just one goal in two games (West Ham and Sunderland). We’re a bit more compact and we’re not taking as many risks, so we haven’t been able to create as many chances as we have in all the previous games.”
“Getting our number nine more involved in the game and more involved in the final third is definitely one of the things I need to improve on.”
