Hart warns Liverpool haven't worked out how to use £125m Isak despite first goal of season

Alexander Isak marked his first goal for Liverpool in a 2-2 Premier League draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, yet former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart believes the Swedish striker remains a peripheral figure at Anfield — isolated in Andoni Iraola’s system and yet to earn the instinctive trust of his new teammates.

Isak completed a £125 million move from Newcastle last summer, but a debut campaign heavily disrupted by injury yielded just four goals. His opener against Forest offered a glimpse of what Liverpool paid for, though Hart argued the underlying problem runs deeper than form.

“It is clear that Liverpool haven’t worked out how to play with Alexander Isak yet,” Hart told BBC Sport. “At Newcastle everything flowed through him. That was down to a trust thing that they had built up over time — their midfield knew exactly where he was and they didn’t even need to look up as he’d be there waiting. At Liverpool that trust just isn’t there at the moment — no-one is feeling it and he isn’t that central point, which is leading to him looking lost and isolated.”

Hart placed the responsibility squarely on Iraola to resolve the situation, arguing that a £125 million investment demands a structural commitment. “Andoni Iraola has some big decisions to make,” he said. “Does he base his team round him or does he try to find a different solution within his squad? In my opinion he’s got to commit to what the club have done by investing so heavily in Isak. There’s no point signing these players if you aren’t going to use them properly and play to their strengths. There’s no doubting Isak’s quality — they are just at a bit of a crossroads at the moment.”

Isak himself struck a more measured tone when reflecting on Liverpool’s stuttering start, pointing to the team’s resilience in coming from behind against Forest while acknowledging there is still work to do. “I think there’s no problem in fighting spirit and never giving up,” he said. “Obviously we started the game pretty bad today as well. When we gained momentum by scoring a goal, that’s where we need to be better, because again today we conceded quite quickly after that. But from the position we were in, it’s always good to get something out of the game.”

On his relationship with Iraola, Isak was broadly positive. “It’s been good working under Iraola. There’s always time to get used to a new playing style and a new manager. But we are really working hard to try to play the game he wants us to play and I think when we start doing that better, I have no doubt that the results will come.”

Liverpool’s 2-2 draw leaves Iraola’s side still searching for the consistency that would justify the club’s significant summer outlay, with the Isak question now one of the defining early tests of his tenure.