Jurgen Klopp has yet another midfield problem following his £151m move from Liverpool
Liverpool now have plenty of options in midfield after the summer transfer window – what is the best combination for Jurgen Klopp?
Liverpool head coach Jürgen Klopp
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (Photo: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Last season, the midfield would have given Jürgen Klop countless sleepless nights for far too long.
But now the Liverpool boss faces a different headache because of the opportunities in the engine room in the coming months.
A midfield overhaul that has seen the Reds spend more than £150m on four new signings means there is a sense of the unknown in an area of the team that has been fairly consistent in terms of personnel under Klopp. the time of the presentation of prizes. accumulated
What is the right combination in midfield for Liverpool right now? Our ECHO writers have their say…
“Horses for courses, but six-year-old Thiago can dictate”
Paul Gorst: I suspect Jurgen Klopp will adopt a “horses for courses” approach to his midfield trio in the coming months. Sometimes a tenacious and defensive Wataru Endo is needed at the base of midfield, while wider options are needed to break down teams sitting behind the ball.
Consider that Klopp has the tactical flexibility to use four or three, and there are plenty of combinations when you also consider Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Harvey Elliott and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It appears to be a new-look midfield whose most valuable feature is technical excellence, a break from the heavy-hitting machines of yesteryear. Although if Liverpool were playing in a Champions League final with a whole host of in-form midfielders to choose from, there might not be a ‘first-choice’ midfield, I want that…
For all his injury problems and fitness concerns, Thiago Alcantara is Liverpool’s best midfielder for me, so Klopp can use him for some technical purposes alongside Alexis MacAllister at the base.
Throw in the tireless and stylish Dominik Szoboszlai and it’s a midfield full of poise and precision. So much, in fact, that a more traditional fighter might not need as much.
“Klopp rarely wanted a first-choice midfield”
Ian Doyle: Bad news for anyone who believes Liverpool could have the best starting midfield right now. There is not one. And it will be a while before that becomes apparent, although Jurgen Klopp has always practiced the horse-of-the-course approach in his engine room.
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Consider the following two games. At Wolves on Saturday, it would be no surprise if Liverpool stick to the triangle that started against Aston Villa last weekend, meaning Alexis MacAllister in defensive midfield, Curtis Jones on the left and Dominik Szoboszlai on the right.
Five days later, however, there were changes in the opening game of the Europa League held in Austria’s LASK. Wataru Endo can be expected in sixth place, with Harvey Elliott on the right. There is one more spot left, which will likely go to the latest signing, Ryan Gravenberch. And that’s without even mentioning the injured Thiago Alcantara, the emerging Bobby Clarke and of course the fit-again Stefan Bajcetic, who can be brought back into the game after coming off the bench for a few minutes.
The latter pair may have to wait for their first starts to face Leicester City in the League Cup midweek next week. It is the competition for places that demonstrates why Klopp rarely wanted a central midfield. “Thiago just needs to start”
Tom Cavilla: Keeping key players fit will be a challenge for Liverpool, who have learned the hard way how difficult it can be to compete for the biggest prizes when key players are sidelined.
Summer signings Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai have made an immediate impact since joining the club and their performances so far have made them the choice of Jürgen Klopp.
Fabinho’s departure has left a spot in the number six role that no player has yet nailed, so Klopp is experimenting with who is best suited for that role. Curtis Jones was tried in this area during pre-season with limited success and it was Mac Allister’s turn to take on full-back duty on Chelsea’s opening weekend.
It may not be Mac Allister’s preferred position, although it may be where he needs to stay for now as Liverpool prepare to welcome back Thiago Alcantara. The quality of the Spaniard makes him a capable individual who simply needs to start.
Ryan Gravenberch is someone who gradually moves into the team; Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic can make their mark from the bench.
“Szoboszlai is a guaranteed starter”
Keifer MacDonald: Welcome to Molineux in less than two weeks as Jurgen Klopp looks to improve his midfield.
The arrival of Ryan Gravenberch on deadline day was the latest piece of summer changes in the Anfield engine room, as the arrival of Alexis MacAllister at the beginning of June was followed by Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo.
Now with the addition of four new midfielders and the return of Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara during their extended layoff, Klopp can surely use his ‘horses for courses’ approach after this September break. But when they’re all fit, what represents Liverpool’s best midfield?
Despite an injury-plagued career on Merseyside, Thiago Alcantara is Liverpool’s best and most technical player and is sure to feature in Liverpool’s biggest games of the season, injury permitting, as they hope to challenge Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal. From the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Dominik Szoboszlai’s eye-catching performances early in his Anfield career make him a guaranteed starter for the Reds these days.
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