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That was the case for much of last season, and it already looks like it will be a recurring theme throughout 2020/21 and before virtually every game Liverpool plays: Who should start in midfield?
With the arrival of Thiago Alcântara, Liverpool are brimming with quality options in that part of the pitch, with nothing less than eight Senior central midfielders to choose from when everyone is fit and available (not including Marko Grujic, who will likely move if a reasonable offer comes in from elsewhere before the transfer window closes).
As such, Jürgen Klopp is unlikely to have an established ‘first choice’ midfielder selection. It will be a case of adjusting the personnel (and possibly the form) depending on the form and aptitude of the individuals, and the specific strengths and weaknesses of each side of the opposition.
For today’s clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Jordan Henderson is perhaps the only certainty to start with. The fact that Klopp put him squarely against Leeds United despite missing every preseason match while recovering from a knee injury spoke volumes about his importance to this team. Especially for a game of this magnitude, Klopp will want his captain on the field again from the beginning.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continues to be ruled out due to injury, and it would be a huge surprise if Curtis Jones or James Milner started this one, which then leaves four players for the remaining two spots, assuming Klopp goes with the usual 4- 3-3 system (which not necessarily a guarantee).
For much of the past two seasons, the robust trio of Fabinho, Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum have been Klopp’s midfielder unit on the biggest occasions, but for a variety of reasons, they have actually only played four games together in all. competitions. in 2020.
All of them could still start against Chelsea, of course, as they provide the strongest defensive platform of Liverpool’s various midfield setups, but it remains to be seen whether that will remain Klopp’s default strategy this season against opponents of higher caliber.
One of the problems Liverpool have increasingly faced since winning the league (and possibly during a few games before then) is that teams are preparing to quell Liverpool’s attacking threat, which then puts more responsibility on the midfield to create. As excellent as Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum are in many respects, and all of them can pick a pass when given the time and space to do so, they don’t exactly possess great natural cunning or cutting edge on the ball. .
They are very effective in creating opportunities by pressing and quickly sending the ball towards the three forwards and the wings, but if they can’t do it, the midfield lacks some unpredictability and spark.
That’s where Naby Keita comes in. He’ll do the defensive work too, but he’s the one who drops a shoulder and passes two or three players to quickly carry Liverpool 20 yards down the field in a way Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum don’t usually do. He was not at his best against Leeds, but he has shown more than enough since the return of football in June to suggest that he is ready to play a big role and deliver a totally different and forward-thinking dynamic to midfield. An instigator of controlled chaos, if you like.
Therefore, Fabinho, Henderson and Keita (or Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita) could provide a better balance of defensive and offensive qualities than the standard midfield of the great games of yore. Much will depend on how Klopp views Fabinho’s sharpness at the moment after having him benched against Leeds, but Fabinho’s full version would be a shoe for this kind of test.
The hypothetical scenario of Klopp throwing a curveball in the form of Thiago to catch Chelsea completely off guard is worth considering as well, given that the club booked him in time to be available this weekend. All the logic and previous evidence suggest that Klopp generally likes to gradually sleep with signings over several weeks or months, giving them enough time in training ground to adjust to the specific requirements of how Liverpool play, both from a tactical perspective. as physics.
That said, knowing how long this transfer has been in the offing, it’s not beyond the possibilities that Thiago has been closely studying Liverpool’s midfield and talking to Klopp about his role within it for quite some time. If so, he may already be more up-to-date than many might assume, and while it’s kind of a wild card scenario, a full debut for Liverpool’s new No. 6 shouldn’t be completely ruled out here (just imagine Frank Lampard has his game plan is all planned down to the smallest detail, only to find out an hour before kick-off that he hasn’t taken Thiago’s game into account).
Whichever midfielder selection Klopp goes with early on, he has a wealth of riches to trade in response to the game situation as it unfolds. It will offer fascinating insight into their mindset for these types of games going forward, and striking the right balance will be key to Liverpool’s chances of achieving six points out of six.
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