Isak finally looks like the signing Liverpool made
Two goals at Portman Road, no clean sheet all season before it, and the mood has turned. Alexander Isak scored twice as Liverpool beat Ipswich Town 0–2 on Friday, the first league win of the campaign (18) (27). He needed ten minutes to change the atmosphere around the season, as one pundit put it (17).
This matters more than three points suggests. Liverpool arrived in Ipswich with a form line that read L D D D. They had drawn with Newcastle 2–2, drawn with Nottingham Forest 2–2, and looked like a side still waiting for its record signing to justify the fee. Now the number nine has his first two, and the table says sixth with five points from three games.
The Gakpo question answered itself
Cody Gakpo looked headed for the exit late in the window after a Manchester City bid (12). At Ipswich he started, linked with Isak for the second goal, and picked up the assist (18) (27). Competition is meant to unsettle a player or sharpen him. Gakpo chose the second option.
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The arrival of Bradley Barcola from PSG for a fee above €100 million on deadline day changes the shape of this attack (28). Barcola made his debut off the bench at Ipswich (22). One pundit has already predicted a new role for Gakpo following the signing (24). Good. A forward who responds to pressure with an assist is exactly the kind of player a deep squad needs.
A sporting director gone, a rebuild open
Richard Hughes has stepped down as sporting director after a summer in which Liverpool spent £700m, with Julian Ward, David Woodfine and Pedro Marques named as likely successors (10) (11). That is not a small administrative detail. Hughes oversaw the biggest rebuild this club has attempted in a generation, and he is gone before the season has properly begun.
Add Curtis Jones explaining his Inter move, praising Cristian Chivu's tactical ideas and the phone calls that convinced him (5) (19), and you get a club in transition from top to bottom. New manager, new sporting director search, new wingers, a record signing only now scoring.
What to watch
Atlético Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday, Sep 9, in the Champions League. Milos Kerkez has already warned the squad about the fixture pile-up across three competitions (32). That is the real test now: is the Ipswich win a flicker or the first sign that this rebuilt side works? Fulham follow at home on Saturday, Sep 12. If Isak keeps scoring, the answer to the whole season starts looking different.
