The Liverpool midfielder has seen an increase in defensive duties after the recent struggles of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho
When Liverpool finally thrashed out a deal for Thiago Alcantara in late September 2020, it’s fair to say it raised numerous eyebrows away from Anfield.
Despite his undeniable quality and a reputation as one of Europe’s most technically gifted operators, which had been forged largely under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and later Bayern Munich, the Spaniard was broadly viewed as an unnecessary addition to the Reds’ previous Premier League-winning midfield.
Months prior to his arrival, his soon-to-be team-mates romped to league title success for the first time in 30 years as the collective exertion of Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho allowed Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to flourish and end the club’s most highly-anticipated wait for a trophy in modern history.
But with Wijnaldum, who was the Reds’ most combative and well-rounded midfielder, entering the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield, Michael Edwards, Jurgen Klopp and members of the club’s scouting department decided to embark on a change of approach ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Twenty-nine years old at the time of signing, Thiago was perhaps the most unlikely addition of the Fenway Sports Group’s era as he arrived on Merseyside close to entering his 30s, alongside a precarious injury record, and little chance of ever mustering up a respectable resale value.
But having demonstrated his elegance during Bayern Muncih’s run to a sixth Champions League triumph at the end of the 2019/20 season with victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon, an eventual fee of £25m for a player of his ilk and prestige would prove too difficult for Klopp to turn down after becoming a long-time admirer of Thiago when trusted with nullifying the former Bayern Munich playmaker during his time at the helm of Borussia Dortmund.
After his first season on Merseyside was largely restricted to the sidelines after a hefty challenge from Richarlison in October’s Merseyside derby left him out of action until the end of 2020, Thiago would struggle to immediately adapt to the pace of the Premier League and frequently exhibited a sense rashness when entering a tackle.
In fact, in just his second Premier League start for the Reds, he would be booked after less than 180 seconds after an ill-timed challenge and would be left walking a disciplinary tightrope for the next hour-and-a-half in the 1-0 defeat at St Mary’s. In total, he was booked on three occasions in his first seven league outings of 2021.
Approaching a fifth full season under Klopp in September 2020, Liverpool had experienced the heights of continental and domestic kingship as they had triumphed in both the Champions League and Premier League in consecutive campaigns. But despite the euphoria of adding a sixth European Cup to the Champions Wall with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in June 2019, it would be the following year that Klopp’s side would finally flex their muscle and evolve into the well-oiled, ruthless winning machine he had first envisioned when succeeding Brendan Rodgers in October 2015.
At the heart of such success was the durability of Wijnaldum, Fabinhio and Henderson who excelled in their duties in midfield as they harassed and harried the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal on their way to amassing a club-record 99 points in the Premier League. At that period of Klopp’s reign, which will forever be viewed as the peak regardless of what is to come between now and 2026, Fabinho was viewed as an indispensable figure when patrolling in front of Virgil van Dijk and Co – and was appropriately dubbed the “lighthouse” by assistant manager Pep Lijnders for his sixth sense at averting danger.
The Brazilian only ranked behind Henderson in Liverpool’s successful tackle leaderboards at the end of that campaign, with his captain only bettering his tally of 62 by just one. However, per-90 minutes neither Henderson (3.7.3) nor Wijnaldum (1.69) acquired a better average number of tackles and interceptions than Fabinho’s 4.16. And across the entirety of the Premier League season, he too further emphasised his prowess as ranked in the division’s top 10 for the number of tackles won in the middle third of the pitch over the 38 league games.
Yet despite Wijnaldum never boasting comparable robustness to either of his midfield counterparts, his incredible tactical understanding meant he could turn his skill set to any challenge presented to him; whether that was in a more advanced position while on international duty with Holland or a more conservative approach during his time at Anfield.
It meant that when Thiago – who had spent the more recent stages of his career marked as an orchestrator in possession and an individual who possessed a rare mastery in being able to break down opposition low blocks with ease – was tasked with filling the vacancy left by the Paris Saint-Germain-bound Wijnaldum plenty of speculative questions were brought to the fore.
But after issues during his maiden year on Merseyside, the La Masia graduate would play an integral role in Liverpool securing Champions League qualification after a last-gasp revival, which started once he was complemented alongside Fabinho in midfield, and saw the Reds win eight of their final ten Premier League games – including a first win at Old Trafford in seven years.
Even at that point, the jury had yet to provide a verdict on Thiago, who had seemingly only found his feet in possession when Fabinho had been permitted to act as a final layer of security in the No.6 position. Now, though, fast forward nearly 18 months and, following the unquestionable toil of a 63-game season, the Spaniard has confirmed his ranking as Liverpool’s most important midfielder, both in and out of possession.
While it would, of course, be unjust to blame Liverpool’s troubling plight solely on the form of both Henderson and Fabinho due to the lack of confidence that is clearly rife throughout the squad at present, the tumble in form of two of Klopp’s most trusted figures – especially the Brazilian – cannot be overlooked.
At 29, the former AS Monaco stalwart should be at the prime of his career and after signing a new long-term contract at Anfield just under two years ago, his form will no doubt be a serious cause for concern at Anfield ahead of what already promises to be a hugr couple of months during the summer.
Having lost his place at the base of midfield to 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic for the Premier League fixture against Chelsea and the FA Cup ties either side against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton, the Brazilian’s woes showed no signs of easing up when he made a late cameo at the Amex on Sunday afternoon.
A horror challenge on the Seagulls’ youngster Evan Ferguson was lucky to be overlooked by David Coote and those at Stockley Park in the final plays of Sunday’s 2-1 defeat on the south coast, with Fabinho’s immediate grimace and raising of the hands ample proof to pinpoint a culpable figure.
Meanwhile, ahead of his 33 birthday later this year, Henderson is in a slightly different position to Fabinho with the general consensus being the Liverpool captain has understandably beyond his peak of 2020 and will consequently inherit James Milner’s role within the squad in the not-too-distant future after recently extending his terms on Merseyside until 2025.
Yet across Liverpool’s 19 Premier League matches so far this season, Thiago has averaged more tackles and interceptions (4.79) than Fabinho (3.74) and more than double the amount of Henderson (2.32). He also boasts a far superior tackle success rate, having 22 compared to the 16 and eight of his two team-mates, who he trailed greatly during his first year at the club.
So ahead of what promises to be a defining couple of months for both the short and long-term future of Liverpool Football Club, with the fight for Champions League qualification looking tougher with each passing week ahead of a much-needed midfield overhaul due to commence in the summer, Thiago’s climb up the leaderboards presents Klopp and the club’s next sporting director with more questions than answers.
SOURCE: liverpoolecho.co.uk
