Fabinho has revealed his frustration with Jurgen Klopp in the early stages of this season. The Brazilian didn’t exactly hit the ground running at Anfield and the boss opted to introduce him slowly.
This annoyed the 25-year-old who was chomping at the bit to impress his new employers. Fast forward a few months and he is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
Speaking to the Telegraph, the midfielder said he was itching on the bench. “I was playing every game but when it came to the start of the season the coach had everyone available and he wanted to go with players who he had already worked with before.
“It was a case of learning, watching and getting up to speed. Watching from the side-lines as to how the team works. I was hoping for opportunities early on but I knew this could happen.
“I knew that I needed to be patient, work hard and that when the chance came to play I had already adapted and I could see what the team was trying to do so I was up to the pace of it.
“I needed time physically to improve. The intensity of it. Being in midfield, in general, you don’t have a lot of time to think and in the Premier League that’s even less of the case.
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“Jurgen Klopp wanted me to learn how to play in the team and what my role was and I think time was the most important thing in doing this.”
Naby Keita’s inauguration period at Liverpool has been longer than Fabinho’s and this likely comes down to the physical nature of the Premier League.
Like the Brazilian said, it’s a tough division and you don’t get much time on the ball – especially as a midfielder.
Klopp likes his players to press the opposition relentlessly which must be exhausting. It’s very rare that a new fella slots into our team and sets the place alight.
The German seems to prefer taking his time when introducing new players, we’ve seen this before, and it now appears as if he’s starting to trust Keita.
The Guinean has smashed it in his last couple of appearances for the club, scoring his first two goals against Southampton and Porto, and is unrecognisable from the man we saw in 2018.
That’s not to say he didn’t show flashes of his ability – there had been instances of him showing off his flair and neat passing, but nothing in end product.
That’s all changed now – the midfielder has given Klopp something to think about ahead of the Chelsea game this weekend.
Baby Keith has landed.