Still trying to understand Klopp’s decision not to start him in both games against R Madrid in the QF. Okay, maybe for the first game, try something different with Keita. But then in the second?
Looking forward to next season.
Did I hear a stat that in his career this was his first season without winning a major trophy?
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Utterly baffling that decision.
He’s been doing this stuff all throughout this season too, not only recently.
I knew the narrative would go this way but the truth is we’d seen a number of good performances from him during our bad run - we were terrible away at Newcastle and Villa (cup) before Thiago came on, he created loads of opportunities in both games off the bench. He was really good against United at home. These are his stats from the Brighton home game, another game he played well in but the team was poor and he ended up being criticised for.
https://twitter.com/LFCData/status/1357102413170237445
At the height of the criticism the stats suggested he passed the ball forwards and more quickly than anyone else in the team, even Trent, yet the pundits got the narrative started that he’s a tiki-taka side to side player who was affecting the balance in our heavy metal team. Absolute rubbish.
Now that the rest of the side is playing better football we are seeing his influence grow. He’s been immense in the last few weeks, running every game and showing real leadership. I don’t know why it’s taken this long to acknowledge he’s a top player, he hasn’t just been conning everyone at Barca and Bayern for 10 years.
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He reminds me (sorry so so sorry) of Scholes… It’s this disgusting ability of basically being able to walk around the pitch but always being 1 step ahead of everyone else. I read the other day he is basically what you’d get if you cloned Xabi and Masher in a single player… I can’t disagree.
If we’d finish even half of our chances he’d have a bucket load of hockey assists.
I’m loving the understanding growing between him and Trent, they are going to be tasty next season.
p.s. He is one of the best headers I’ve seen, especially considering he’s 5 foot nothing 
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Prior to this season he had lost fewer then 10 league games in his entire career 
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That is fucking insane isn’t it.
Bit like Mane’s 3 years without losing at Anfield.
I, like you, don’t listen to narratives but make up my own mind by watching what a player does on the pitch and then form my own opinion.
From what I saw it was obvious that Thiago isn’t a player that slows us down, like Gini, rather the opposite he is a player who plays one and two touch football when its on.
His work rate as always been high, but he did tire in his earlier games lacking match fitness, however his last 8 or so matches we have seen him as the leader in helping the press and pushing our team up the pitch.
I have had a few arguments on here defending Thiago and other players, to the extent where someone questioned, rather rudely, my knowledge & understanding.
My former employment aided me in obtaing a UEFA B coaching licence as well as other recognised coaching qualifications in numerous other sports, I have experience, but my judgement isnt perfect and I love hearing other opinions, as long as that opinion is taking in the full facts and not saying the ‘popular opinion’. I remember when Hendo was the easy scapegoat and got lambasted by a lot of people on TIA when the facts were far from the truth, I do hate that a lot follow this ‘Sheep’ mentality.
My blind point is that I do want every player to succeed and I can be over supportive of newer players wanting them to do well, aka Naby, I really rooted for him until the Madrid game, but it was his lack of effort and fight in that game that made me give up on him.
Sorry for the long ramble, I suppose what I would like to see is for all to have an informed opinion and not to listen to the narative from the pundits and so called experts.
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Good analogies and yes he and Trent are firming a great understanding and I think him and Hendo will also link well
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Great post sportbilly. My big concern with Thiago is the shit he gets from refs. Far too often the way he (cleanly) wins the ball is given as a foul and he often looks like he feels rough housed off the ball but fouls are very rarely given. Coupled with the disgraceful Richarlison tackle and it takes a very strong mentality to come back from this - which luckily I think he has. Hopefully next season we get fairer treatment (ha!) and the players get a bit better at ‘managing’ the play. Think Thiago has all the game intelligence to do this.
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Haven’t noticed that at all since he stopped flying in with silly fouls to be honest.
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The Alcantara family strike me as smart cluey sorts who make sure their message is honest but on point. Reading between the lines though I do wonder if Thiago potentially hasn’t settled - would be completely understandable given difficulties on the pitch and off it would also have been hard, even for those wanting to embrace the area. I don’t get the sense he would have moved to Liverpool except to work with Klopp and build on the play he say in 2019-20 so my worry is that, were the first half of 21-22 not to go as he expected on the pitch then he could look to leave. Hopefully he has a storming season and comes to love playing here.
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I personally think it’s what it is, Thiago hasn’t had the best of seasons with injuries, it’s hard for most players to come into an environment of a new club at the moment.
I have a colleague who started in March 2020 and she comments how hard it has been, it’s just that. I wish people wouldn’t look for angles or stories that don’t exist.
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Been the worst possible year to move countries during. Think its gone far better than could ever have been expected.
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Yup, I was thinking about other players who moved and haven’t shone, I think it helped Jota that he was in the UK.
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It would have been even better, if Richarlison hadn’t tried to cut him in two.
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Right now Thiago and Henderson are close in terms of abilities, but back then, I remember there was a long time during which Thiago was way ahead, specifically 2010-2016/17.