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It’s fair to say that heading into the new season, midfield was by far the most stacked department of the Liverpool team.
Now with Thiago Alcântara on board, Jürgen Klopp has eight established and quality midfielders to choose from once they are fit and available. And with impressive performances from Marko Grujic and Xherdan Shaqiri (who tends to float somewhere between midfield and attack) at the Carabao Cup midweek, that midfield number could be extended to 10.
That’s a lot of options for any coach, and while it remains to be seen whether one or two of them advance before the transfer deadline on October 6, it gives Klopp a great deal of tactical flexibility and turnover margin as Liverpool look to mount a serious assault on all fronts in 2020/21.
Here, we tackle some of the big questions surrounding Liverpool’s midfield and how it could improve in the weeks and months to come.
Of the 10 senior midfielders on the team, who would you classify as the main group from which the majority of Premier League and Champions League matches are expected to start?
Ollie Connolly: Thiago’s injury history and his integration into a new league and style dictates that he should not be relied upon for each and every game. If there is an opportunity to save his legs, I think Klopp will seize it. Regardless of the third piece, Thiago-Fabinho, Thiago-Keita, I still think Klopp will want both Jordan Henderson and Wijnaldum on the wing. Henderson brings intensity and organization to the team as a whole and has often been responsible for setting the pace for the team. Thiago will take on some of those responsibilities, but Klopp will continue to trust his captain.
Joel Rabinowitz: I expect Klopp to want at least two (if not three) from Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho and Wijnaldum on the field in the vast majority of games. I would also include Naby Keita in that mix now. They are an incredibly strong core group of five with a great mix of defensive and offensive attributes that can be adjusted to suit all types of playing situations and types of opposition.
Rank them all, from 1 to 10, in hierarchical order.
BOSS: Thiago, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Milner, Grujic, Shaqiri
JR: Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain (once he’s fit), Jones, Milner, Shaqiri, Grujic.
Injuries aside, who is your final big game / cup trio now?
BOSS: This is really difficult. Thiago ahead of Fabinho and Henderson makes more sense. But based on how Arsenal, Man City and others great sides have been established , placing Thiago in sixth place is probably the team’s best way to break the shadow press. I’ll go with Thiago, Henderson, Wijnaldum – a lot of positional discipline, passing and intensity of pressure.
JR: Difficult, this one. Fabinho anchored in role number 6, Henderson and Thiago right in front of him on both sides. Not a lot of natural goal threat I guess, but imagine trying to take the ball away from them. There is so much defensive steel and passing quality there. They would dominate practically any opponent they faced.
It feels a bit tough on Wijnaldum and Keita, but that’s how strong the competition is now. There will be so many options to turn things around from the bench in any situation.
What kind of midfield setup would you like to see start against lower caliber opponents, particularly at Anfield?
BOSS: I think Keita is a must here. He brings a push to midfield that is often lacking against low, deep blocks. Again, breaking a deep block is so much about the setup play from the back, which is why I prefer Thiago in the role of six, but I’m not sure Klopp would agree. A double pivot with Thiago with Fabinho would be spicy, something that would allow you to play the four forwards of Liverpool. I will take Thiago, Keita, Henderson, with the first and last freely trading between six and eight places depending on the opponents’ configuration.
JR: I’d like to see Keita on the court as much as possible this season, especially against teams that sit back and pack numbers behind the ball. Have it Y Thiago in those kinds of games just makes Liverpool so dangerous in all areas, because teams will not just be able to double down and focus on stopping wingers.
Thiago, Keita and one more from almost everyone else. I also hope we see a bit of 4-2-3-1, with a double pivot from Thiago and Henderson / Fabinho, Firmino or Minamino in the number 10 role, which then allows Klopp to play as Jota. part of a four-pronged attack.
Which, if any of them, would you ideally seek to change in this transfer window?
BOSS: Given how much soccer he’s getting into in such a short period of time, he would keep them all. Fund generation is clearly important, but that can come from other areas: Rhian Brewster (gulp), Harry Wilson et al. If you to have to sell one, I prefer Grujic. I have an extremely high opinion of Grujic and believe that he can be a high level combo protector / creator for a team in the Bundesliga or the Premier League. But it seems clear, according to reports, that it is not seen as a long-term adjustment to Klopp’s setup. If the club can generate more than £ 25 million, that would be a decent deal.
(Image: Chloe Knott Photo – Danehouse / Getty Images)
JR: Reluctantly, Grujic. I know it was only opposition from League One, but I was very impressed with how he played Lincoln the other night. He has a bit of everything on him and, as Ollie says, there is a lot of potential to unlock.
I would definitely not be reluctant to keep it around until at least January if there are no decent offers in this window and I would like to see it with more opportunities. Liverpool are already quietly racking up some injuries, and as the matches get even more intense in the coming weeks, having Grujic as an option is not a bad thing.
That said, the guy deserves to play first-team football somewhere, and it’s virtually impossible to see how he does it in Liverpool. Charging between £ 20 and 25 million seems reasonable.
I would definitely like Shaqiri to stay one more season as well. If you can stay in shape, it’s such an effective game changer that it brings real quality and unpredictability. Against certain types of opposition, that is ideal.
Who are you most concerned and excited to see this season?
BOSS: I’m so excited for Thiago, duh. But I’m also fascinated by how Jones evolves. It really is a bag of everything and it could be anything in this point. That slick, drifting style has some echoes of Philippe Coutinho, while the in-between impulses and long-range antics have a young, shaven-headed Gerrard scent. High praise, I know, but after being undecided about Jones’s prospects, they have really beaten me.
In terms of concerns, they are mild. I think Oxlade-Chamberlain is more essential to Klopp than he is credited with, and his fitness and form will continue to play a crucial role this season. Above all, I am concerned about Milner: the injuries are starting to pile up. Unlikely to be necessary you this season, but if Klopp and company. If they no longer feel they can trust him, then it will have implications for those who want to move elsewhere for first team football.
JR: Excited? Thiago, of course. Jones and Keita too, but mainly Thiago. For obvious reasons. I still don’t think I’ve processed well the fact that he now plays for Liverpool. It’s going to be a lot of fun for us, not so much for the teams that have to play against him.
Worried? Milner worries me a bit, I must admit. The amount of muscle injuries he routinely has now has gone unnoticed, and while he clearly remains a pivotal locker room presence, I think we’re at a point where even as an option from the bench to close games. Liverpool has better and more dynamic alternatives.
Sure, as someone who guides the youngsters and the fringe players in the national cups, he’s perfect, but in the league and the Champions League, I prefer Jones and Keita to have more playing time.
I understand why some would be concerned about Oxlade-Chamberlain as well, but I am still very optimistic that he may have a significant role to play not only this season, but also in the years to come.
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