Speaking to BBC Sport, Hart pointed out a stark contrast between Isak’s successful stint at Newcastle and his current struggles on Merseyside. The pundit noted that the striker was the ultimate focal point at St James’ Park, where midfielders instinctively knew his positioning and played with absolute trust.
“It is clear that Liverpool haven’t worked out how to play with Alexander Isak yet,” Hart noted. “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 also sent a direct warning to Iraola regarding the massive investment. He urged the manager to either build his attacking system around the Swede or find an alternative tactical solution. He added: “Andoni Iraola has some big decisions to make. Does he base his team round him [Isak] 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.”