Jurgen Klopp says there is a lot more to come from “world-class” Thiago Alcantara as he marks his first year as a Liverpool player. The Reds confirmed the £25million capture of the midfielder from Bayern Munich on September 18 last year to bring one of the most decorated footballers on the continent to Anfield. A COVID-19 diagnosis was followed by an injury against Everton in mid-October, however, sidelining him for nearly three months before he returned to an absence-hit Liverpool side struggling for confidence. Thiago eventually began to display the sort of form that saw him star in Bayern Munich’s treble-winning 2020 though, as the Reds went 10 games unbeaten towards the end of last term. As the ex-Barcelona man celebrates his first anniversary at Anfield, Klopp says there is plenty more to come.
Jurgen Klopp said: “The start was not perfect because he came here, got COVID and got injured early. Of course that makes everything a little more difficult. He showed what kind of a player he can and will be for us, so there is much more to come, of course. It is now a year, but if you want, it is actually only half a year because of all the things that happened; coming into a new club in the most difficult period of all our lives. He settled really well. His family is here and he is the middle of the team and is a really good character and personality, and obviously a world-class player. So all fine. There are some natural skills which the boys’ have. In Thiago’s case, that is for sure. If you were writing under a headline, all the technical stuff is easy for him. Yes, he has to and has had to adapt to the way we defend. We play rather more often using a slightly more offensive player as one of the double six than Bayern Munich. You have to be more offensive and defensive as one of our double six. You have to play between the lines. You can drop to the last line to receive the ball, but not always. But he is such a natural footballer it is not like we have to give him 15 or 16 different things to do in the game. We want him to play his natural football and there are just a couple of things he has to adapt for how we play. He did that. That’s all fine. I don’t ask him for constant runs beyond the last line. He is a playmaker, obviously, who can sometimes be a little deeper, but he must be there in the two interesting lines of the opponent as well. In a closed area with his passing he is really good, and he can chip balls into each area like a golfer, actually. A good golfer. A world-class golfer! He does that without even thinking. I love the way he plays. It’s a complex position to be the No.8 for us. We have different skill sets and we use different skill sets from time to time when we think a particular skill set makes more sense against a particular opponent. Sometimes it is the idea to make more runs in behind, and sometimes you want to be more naturally offensive or more naturally defensive. That’s the reason for different line-ups.”
Thiago has started alongside Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson just once in his 12 months at Liverpool, which was the now infamous 2-2 derby draw with Everton in October 2020. Klopp says the trio will inevitably feature together more often as he talked up the strength in depth in his midfield.
Jurgen Klopp said: “Which game did they start together? The Merseyside derby? Wow! There is a good reason why they didn’t start much together obviously. That is the only reason because they can play together. They can work really well together and that can happen in the future. There is no doubt about that. We have so many different skill sets that I don’t have a first three in midfield. Why should I? The boys have to offer in training and if they offer in training then I have to make a decision. When we only have three days between games, so we try to take the opponent as seriously as possible and that means how can we make little advantages? Maybe there are some different opportunities against different opponents and we have to use that. That is what we try to do. But it has nothing to do with Thiago or whatever. The Premier League is too intense to have four midfielders only, three of them have to play all the time and one comes in from time to time. That just doesn’t work. It is a position with a lot of intense challenges and we have to be as fresh as possible to be ready to face them. Again, the start of this season was not perfect for Thiago. He came from the Euros later and with a slight injury, so he could not start the pre-season with us until later. That is not perfect but it is not a massive problem. Now we are on matchday 5 in the Premier League, we are getting there and there is a long season to come. Again, each little bit you can get fitter we try to use and while we do that sometimes other players have to play who have had a full pre-season. The autumn is coming, winter is coming, spring is coming and then the decisive early summer and hopefully we can keep them all fit and fresh and we will be a really tough cookie to play against.”
