Matt Le Tissier drops verdict on who’s better out of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak at Liverpool
Hugo Ekitike will be annoyed by having to play from the bench or out wide as Arne Slot continues trying to accommodate the out-of-form Alexander Isak in attack.
That is according to Premier League legend Matt Le Tissier, who exclusively told Football Insider that Liverpool boss Arne Slot will feel like he has to start Alexander Isak due to the hefty fee paid for him on deadline day.
Liverpool have seriously struggled in recent weeks, with four consecutive losses prior to a 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday (22 October).
There has been lots of debate around how Slot can get the best out of both Isak and Hugo Ekitike in his starting eleven, following their respective £125million and £70million summer moves to the club.
Ekitike has begun his Reds career in decent form, with six goals in 12 games, while Isak has not yet impressed with just the one goal in eight appearances up to now.
Isak has been taking Ekitike’s striker spot despite difference in form
Isak’s summer-long saga eventually reached a conclusion on deadline day as he joined Liverpool from Newcastle, but doubts were immediately raised around his fitness and place in the team after Ekitike had already netted three times in his first four games for the club.
Slot has since largely rotated the pair at number-nine, with Ekitike continuing to impress and Isak struggling for form despite being trusted to start over the Frenchmen against Man United last weekend.
Isak again cut a frustrated figure against Frankfurt in midweek, while Ekitike shone and netted the Reds’ opener as they were picked to start alongside each other for the first time this season.
Ekitike started on the right-wing but cut inside to play next to Isak as Jeremie Frimpong got forward before his injury, and the 23-year-old spoke afterwards about his and the Swede’s partnership, saying: “Obviously it was not the best half together, but I think we can improve together. He is a very good player and I think the links will come in time.”
Le Tissier says Ekitike could soon become annoyed at lack of Liverpool minutes
Isak came off with an injury against Frankfurt at half-time as Slot later confirmed that he had felt something in his groin, so his potential unavailability could provide Ekitike with a platform to impress in the coming games.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former England and Southampton striker Le Tissier admitted that the large fee Liverpool paid for Isak could be what is making Slot stick by him from the off, while Ekitike may be annoyed at his lack of opportunities behind the 26-year-old.
He said: “I think there’s almost a case of the fee being so big for Isak that Liverpool feel like they’ve got to get him in the team at every given opportunity.
“With a fee that high, you do want to play him because you want to give him the opportunity to start scoring, because the longer he goes without scoring, obviously, his confidence gets affected and their asset starts depreciating.
“So, I think I understand why they’ve started him (against Man United). But I think if I was Ekitike, I think I’d be a bit hacked off at the moment because he’s obviously in better form than Isak and probably deserves to be playing in front of Isak.
“But unfortunately, in football, it’s not always that simple and other issues sometimes take precedence when it comes to picking a starting XI. It is possible (that friction is caused between the two players), depending on the mentality of Ekitike. He might take the view that it’s still very early on in his Liverpool career.
“I think Isak’s a bit older than him, so he might take the view at the moment, ‘OK, I can be patient for now,’ but I’m not sure how long that would last if Isak doesn’t start scoring and Ekitike still sits on the bench.”