Liverpool beat Flamengo on Saturday to win the Club World Cup in a game that demonstrated the importance of Gini Wijnaldum.
Liverpool were, in truth, quite poor against Flamengo. The Brazilians were certainly better than many anticipated but they were even more surprising in how they kept the ball.
Flamengo actually had more possession than Liverpool, for one thing. They won more corners, too, as well as stifling Liverpool’s best players.
Liverpool did find some control, though – when the midfield changed.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain went off with an unfortunate injury and Jurgen Klopp introduced Adam Lallana in his stead. After the goal, Klopp swapped Naby Keita for James Milner, too.
Suddenly, Liverpool were stronger in the middle. They pressed better, filled gaps better, and looked more composed. Up until that point, much of the defensive effort was solely on Jordan Henderson.
Henderson did have a brilliant game but a lot of it was in how much he did – or had to do. Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain never got ahold of the game, certainly not in the way Milner and Lallana later did. And so, that left Henderson to cover a lot of the midfield.
It’s clear to see why Klopp started with those two, though. He wanted to threaten going forward, rather than concentrate on control.
But the subsequent trouble meant Wijnaldum’s absence was a glaring one. Not everything goes as planned, after all.
Wijnaldum’s strength lies in his ability to do a bit of everything. He’s a player who lightens the load on the other midfielders, while he always finds a way to influence things, and he’s done that ever since his £25m arrival.
Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita don’t have that strength. When Liverpool aren’t controlling the game, both look a bit lost and unable to pull things back together.
Wijnaldum is far less of a gamble and that’s what Liverpool needed against Flamengo. He can play his part in any game and if the Reds need control and a solid midfield, he can switch gears and provide that. If they need to push forward, he can do that excellently, too.
He’s a top-class, vital midfield player. And Liverpool are worse-off when he’s absent.
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