Fabinho has spoken of the advice Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk have shared as he hopes to develop his defensive skillset, giving special mention to the technical aspects of the latter’s game as inspiration for the Brazilian’s own.
The No.3 has mainly been deployed in the centre of defence for Liverpool this term, as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez remain sidelined with injury.
“When I first came to Liverpool I identified the areas that I needed to improve and I watched Joel Matip a lot in terms of defending,” Fabinho told the Daily Mail (via the Echo). “I have talked and learned from him. But then this season at Chelsea I played in defence with Virgil at Chelsea and he gave me pointers about positioning and things.”
“Now I just want to be able to watch his game and pick up things I should be doing, particularly the passes he makes. I would like to do that,” the midfielder added.
To have lost two starting centre-backs around the beginning of the season was a blow that nobody could have possibly anticipated.
However, to have benefitted from the stewardship of Fabinho in defence, in the meantime, is a massive stroke of good fortune for a club many thought would be doomed by the loss of our colossal Dutchman.
The success of the midfielder’s transition into the backline is a big factor in why he should already be strongly considered as one of the frontrunners for Liverpool’s player of the season.
Without the Brazilian’s temporary change of position, we’d have to wonder about the number of points that would have been lost.
He’s been utterly remarkable for us this term and Jurgen Klopp will be more aware than most of how fortunate we are to rely on the former Monaco man.