A source close to the club told The Athletic that Thiago Alcantara is yet to completely come to terms with Jurgen Klopp’s pressing demands.
The classy Spaniard’s performances have suffered critique, with the midfielder often accused of being a weak link as far as Liverpool’s defensive game is concerned.
“One source close to Liverpool explained that Thiago’s understanding of Klopp’s counter-pressing is still falling short and not yet at the same levels as those of Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum,” Adam Crafton and co. wrote. “Thiago could, however, take inspiration from the experience of Ilkay Gundogan at Borussia Dortmund, where the German required six months to adapt to Klopp’s demands before thriving.”
Should Liverpool fans be concerned about Thiago?
The fact that much of the criticism around the No.6’s outings for his new side tend to revolve around his defensive work is quite telling and somewhat ludicrous given that the player was brought in for attacking impact.
As The Athletic have rightly noted, the lack of Fabinho’s presence in the middle of the park has left the 29-year-old with the unenviable responsibility of having to make up for the slack in defensive duties that the Brazilian would otherwise cover.
What’s rather interesting, and certainly relevant when considering Thiago’s worth in this Liverpool side, is how much more potent the La Masia graduate looked with our No.5 alongside him to balance out the midfield.
It’s perfectly natural for some players to need some time to adapt to the specifics of Klopp’s system and we certainly haven’t any major doubts over the Spain international’s future at Anfield – he’s already shown just how good he can be for us if given the opportunity.
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