The first part of John Aldridge's ECHO column touches on the win at Brentford, Alexander Isak and the January transfer window

One thing I like about the new-look Liverpool under Andoni Iraola is their work ethic. Look, I think many people will be in agreement that this squad is still quite a distance away from the great days of Jurgen Klopp and supporters are smart enough to generally recognise and accept that right now.

So looking at what could realistically be achieved this year, you would have to say that qualification to the Champions League and a domestic cup triumph would represent a successful season under Iraola.

But it's a fragile squad the head coach has at his disposal right now and we have seen in the last couple of weeks how injuries have threatened to hamper progress under the Basque coach.

There was no Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo or Alexander Isak for the Manchester City game as they joined long-term absentees Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike in the sidelines.

And now, on the back of Saturday's 2-1 win at Brentford, Szoboszlai is injured once more and Jeremie Frimpong is the latest to be impacted.

Under Klopp, Liverpool didn't seem to get too many injuries to too many of their key players at the top end of the pitch but the squad is carrying a few too many right now and that could hurt us.

But I thought the lads battled brilliantly at Brentford. They haven't lost at home since February before the weekend and while Yehor Yarmoliuk was silly for his headbutt on Jeremy Jacquet, the Reds defender definitely used it to his advantage.

It was a red card and it turned the game in our favour. Full credit to the team for making sure it was a mistake that was punished.

I have watched football for longer than I can remember really and I can't understand why Liverpool didn't get a penalty after the Yarmoliuk sending-off. Is the message being that you can attack a player inside the penalty area as long as the ball is out of play? That doesn't seem right to me.

But the Liverpool players smelled blood after the game and turned it around, meaning they have now taken seven points from some really tough away games at Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Brentford.

Isak is brilliant - but improvements can be made

It was a real poacher's finish from Alexander Isak that won us the game on Saturday and I cannot speak highly enough for the centre-forward when it comes to those sorts of moments. He's been the match-winner for three away games straight now, which is what he's in the side for.

He is a brilliant finisher and as long as he is on the pitch you always have a feeling that Liverpool can score. His all-round game on Saturday was quiet though and I remember having matches myself where I was barely involved.

A game against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup of 1988 springs to mind. I barely touched the ball and ended up scoring two in a 2-1 win. I didn't bother me at all, Peter Beardsley and John Barnes were playing all the football but as long as I put it in the back of the net, I didn't care and Isak shouldn't either.

One thing he needs to look at, however, is the amount of times he strays offside. You want him on the last shoulder of the defenders, working the line, keeping active and staying on his toes, but drifting into offside positions makes it too easy for the centre-halves.

He doesn't need to be dropping into midfield, he is not Bobby Firmino in that sense, that isn't his game. I played as a striker all my life and it is just these little things I am noticing where I can see some room for improvement. Sometimes it can be laziness to an extent but he is a superb finisher, there is no doubt about that.

Comparing Isak to Mohamed Salah is unfair because they were two very different players but he now has to take the Egyptian King's mantle of being the main marksman at Liverpool.

This might be the new reality for supporters to adapt to - their best goalscorer might not always look like he's going score, but give him a chance and he will likely bury it.

Five goals in seven games is proof that he is embracing that challenge to succeed Salah in that way and if he can score at a rate of one in every two, then he will be well on his way towards 25 goals this season, which is the sort of figure he has to be targeting now.

January additions are a must

Injuries are really starting to bite now and the midfield issue is particularly a concern. With Dominik Szoboszlai hamstrung for the coming few games, it looks like Ryan Gravenberch will have to step up in his absence.

In fairness, the Netherlands midfielder looked back to his best against Manchester City before his red card and he has to keep that up now. He is a lovely player to watch in full flow but I don't think he is a specialist No.6 in that sense.

He can play the role and do it to the best of ability, of course, but he is at his best when he is further forward, carrying the ball and bringing the forwards into play.

The issue is though, the options are running out for Iraola with Szoboszlai out. For whatever reason, the boss doesn't seem to fancy Wataru Endo and while the Japan captain can be a decent squad option, the midfield area might need addressing when the transfer window opens.

Look at the Manchester City and Arsenal squads, they are much stronger and have more depth. People say there is no value in January but Liverpool have shown that is not always the case. It's been a big month for us in recent history.

Luis Suarez, Virgil van Dijk, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, all of these players came in January, so if we can get to the New Year in a good position then maybe we can go and spend and get one or two in that can really help the push for the rest of the season.