Thomas Mueller at Bayern.
Maybe a bit on the old side now.
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You are being modest.
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As in tackled more and intercepted more, by far, than anyone else who is currently playing in midfield. The problem with Thiago isn’t that he isn’t physical and defensive enough it’s that he’s TOO physical and aggressive and LFC players in the Prem don’t get away with what Bayern and Barca players get away with in their leagues. It’s like he’s come to England, knows its got a rough and tough reputation and thought he needed to show what he’s made of. Unfortunately for him he’s come to the only team in the league that isn’t allowed the freedom to play like that.
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And just for comparison.
Wijnaldum has played 25 games and 2042 minutes compared to Thiagos 12 games and 908 minutes.
Thiago has made 11 more tackles, conceded 15 more fouls from attempted tackles and already made 1 more interception.
Incidentally an awful lot of those “fouls” had fuck all wrong with them and would never be given as fouls on Liverpool players in a million years!
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So Thiago should be our next choice at CB, what’s his jump like.
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Again. Stats don’t win us games.
Even in tackles and interceptions it’s ‘quality over quantity’.
Thiagos defensive work has been 3 or 4 out of 10 at best.
Almost half of those players work hard defensively. Some of those teams play with numbers in midfield. Some are lower level teams. Eriksen rarely played #10 for Spurs, he mostly played inside right. They had to hide him in one of those inside roles. I just don’t think we’ll see a Coutinho-type #10 playing as a single #10 under Klopp.
Yet again you’re using a very narrow definition of number 10 to explain why we don’t need and won’t use a number 10 but is anyone suggesting we need the type of number 10 you’re narrowing the definition down to? I was the one who suggested it before commenting so I don’t get your argument.
Not every #8 needs to be box-to-box. You can have a more controlling one. There are also some other qualities other than pure physical/running ones. Thiago (played in a double-six at Bayern, but yeah, he’s not really made for this single pivot #6) is certainly not a #10. He’ll probably start the next season at LCM with Fabinho at #6 and Hendo at RCM. On paper at least, if everyone is fit. The rest will go down to merit/form/injuries. We’ll see who we get in to “replace” Gini.
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It’s okay, we can wish, we are fans. But Klopp said what he thinks of the single #10 position and for him it’s one of the most demanding on the pitch. People like Lallana played it more than Coutinho (I don’t think he ever played the single #10 for us, not even once). It’s completely different to what we did or are still doing. You can “hide” those players in inside left/right positions in attack/betweent the lines or a bit deeper (not everyone is able to do a miracle going from up top to deep central midfield like Dembele!).
And he’s what, a “proper number 10”? He’s defensively one of the most responsible players out there. Technically not really highest level, but very smart how he uses space, reliable and responsible.
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What happened to Batshuayi? He was scoring for fun at Dortmund?
I think Fekir was signed with the intent to play the 10 role.
EDIT: I always wanted to see Muller in the Prem. I don’t personally like him but I respect what he does, the job he does for his side. He would also give Fernandinho a run for his money in the dark arts. Muller is one of the sneaky dirtiest players in world football.
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EL next season could mean that the likes of Wilson and Grujic could stay with us next season.
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Assuming the wanted players stay and that there is no repeat of this season’s injury crisis, the core of Europa League team is already here. I assume that Kelleher, Neco, Davies, Tsimikas, Milner, Keita and Elliott would see a fair amount of minutes there, alongside some first team regulars. In hindsight, that could be good for development of a lot of them but it would hurt like hell, seeing Liverpool in Europa League after past three years.
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Allan Saint-Maximin having a fine day. Can see him in red. Can you imagine teams having to cope with Mane, Salah and Saint-Maximin? Frightening.
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Diogo Jota.
Room for him on the pitch, too, especially with Gini leaving and Fab sitting in front of the back line.
They aren’t even EL level players. 