Diogo Jota provides Liverpool with a brilliant bench option, but doesn’t leave any of the front-three with the feeling they’re being pushed out of the door.
This is the opinion of Gary Neville, and we think he’s spot on, actually.
Sadio Mane and Mo Salah especially absolutely despise being subbed off. They just about accept it, but it never goes down well – which is evidence of their enormous confidence in their own abilities and hunger for goals…
But if there was a new signing who was regularly starting ahead of them – we can ‘t imagine it would wash – considering their consistency over a number of years and the fact they’ve managed their bodies expertly – playing basically all of our Premier League and Champions League games.
Neville thinks Jota provides us quality and safety in reserve, but his presence isn’t going to upset the superstars, while the arrival of Thiago simply injects quality and new skills into the middle of the park.
“The signings of Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota were big moves because it signalled intent. They needed to strengthen in midfield with somebody who can play, control the game and do something a little bit different to the rest of them, and then Jota up front, who provides a real quality back up to the front three, but doesn’t unnerve them to the point where they want to leave. It was a clever signing,” Neville told Sky Sports.
Jota does cover us if any of the front-three pick up an injury, but he also gives us real quality in the domestic cup competitions.
He’ll start v Arsenal on Thursday, and we hope to see him get a full 90 minutes and add to his tally.