Alexander Isak, the £116 million Newcastle poach whose electric potential has tantalized Anfield since July, bore the brunt of Slot’s ire after a woefully anonymous display that saw him subbed off at halftime, his 45 minutes a stark contrast to the goal-fest unfolding around him.
Liverpool’s Champions League redemption arc was scripted in German steel: down 1-0 to Rasmus Kristensen’s early strike, Hugo Ekitike leveled with a poacher’s finish against his old club, before Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate rose like colossi to head in corners—ironic ammunition for Slot’s recent gripes about set-piece “luck.” Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai piled on post-interval gloss, burying Frankfurt and Liverpool’s four-game skid. Yet, amid the cheers, Slot’s face darkened when Isak’s name surfaced. The Swede, meant to turbocharge the front line, managed a grand total of 18 touches, zero shots, and a misplaced pass tally that screamed disengagement.
“A total flop, a big disgrace, a waste of hype, and a huge disappointment to the club,” Slot thundered to TNT Sports, his trademark composure shattered. “A good-for-nothing performance—mentality all wrong, decisions like a amateur, attitude that’s poison in a dressing room like ours.” The 26-year-old’s lethargy wasn’t masked by the scoreline; Slot fumed that “standards don’t dip because we win big,” questioning if Isak’s swagger masked a fragility unfit for Liverpool’s relentless ethos. Fans on X erupted in memes dubbing it “The Isak Inquisition,” with one viral clip of his half-time trudge looping endlessly.
This wasn’t blind rage—Slot had banked on Isak’s blend of pace and poise to mesh with Ekitike’s industry, but tonight exposed the teething pains of a £200m+ forward duo still gelling. “He’s got the tools, but not the fire,” Slot added, hinting at a bench spell ahead. Yet, in victory’s haze, the message landed: no one’s untouchable at Anfield. Liverpool march on, but Isak’s redemption arc? That’s just begun. YNWA—or for him, perhaps, YN-start-earning-it.
