With Liverpool preparing to visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday, manager Arne Slot used Friday’s press briefing to deliver a frank assessment of two of his most high-profile forwards: Mohamed Salah and recent signing Alexander Isak.
While conceding that Salah is currently underperforming relative to expectations, Slot also emphasised patience over Isak’s gradual incorporation into his system, warning against premature judgment as the Swede adjusts to his new surroundings.
Slot opened his remarks by acknowledging the challenges in extracting consistent open-play goals this season, and how that has magnified scrutiny on Salah’s output. “Mo has a part of this,” Slot said, referencing Salah’s contributions in the previous season and the shifting dynamics now that opponents are more attuned to limiting Liverpool’s attacking options. “The more we will play together in the new set-up, the better that will go, but we still struggled a bit to find enough goals from open play in the second part of last season and the first part of this season.”
Slot did not offer excuses, but he did frame the current dip as partly structural: the loss of wide service options and the rebalancing of Liverpool’s attack.
He warned that Salah is no longer afforded the same tactical latitude as before, stating, “Now you are focused on Mo, the next time you are focused on Florian [Wirtz] then you are focused on Cody [Gakpo] … We don’t score as many open-play goals anymore as we did in the first part of last season.”
Still, Slot was keen to defend the Egyptian forward’s enduring value. He underscored that high-calibre players like Salah are capable of shifting the balance of tight encounters, and that Liverpool will continue to rely on his experience and finishing instinct even when the flow of play is against them. In effect, Slot accepted heightened expectations while urging caution against overreaction.
Turning to Alexander Isak, Slot adopted a notably more measured tone. The Swedish forward arrived amid considerable fanfare—but has yet to deliver consistent performances as he settles into Liverpool’s demanding schedule.
Slot reminded reporters that Isak missed much of preseason, describing the forward’s current condition as “inherited” from his circumstances. “The difficult thing will be: you will have your appearances … but if you add the minutes together, [he] probably only had two or three 90-minute games,” Slot elaborated. “He already scored a goal, he gets fitter and fitter, but the main thing is he adjusts to his teammates and the teammates adjust to him. The more he plays together, the better things will work.”.
Slot’s emphasis was unmistakably long term: this is not a sprint, but a process. He echoed that sentiment in earlier remarks after omitting Isak from his squad for the Burnley match, citing fitness and preparation concerns. “He needs proper minutes of training before he has a certain base, let alone … play twice in three days,” Slot said. In other public statements, the manager even suggested Isak’s recruitment was for a six-year horizon, not for the next few fixtures.
Slot has publicly urged supporters to temper their expectations. “Don’t expect him every single game 90 minutes on the pitch — that’s definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks,” Slot said, in line with his cautious integration plan.
Yet he has also expressed optimism about Isak’s potential impact once fully in sync. In earlier comments, he described Isak as “maybe the best striker in the world,” admitting that part of his challenge is balancing patience with the ambition that accompanies a major signing.