Liverpool beat Wolves on Thursday as we saw a brief look at a new Takumi Minamino partnership. It has the potential to be an exciting one.
Minamino had a difficult debut against Wolves. Not that it was any fault of his own, of course. He had to play several different positions on one of the league’s toughest grounds.
He was always unlikely to shine because of that but we certainly saw reasons for excitement. Not just in his versatility, either, but in the potential partnership with Roberto Firmino.
Minamino, who joined for £7.25m this month, initially took up a position on the left-wing when he came on for Sadio Mane. While that only lasted for 12 minutes, he did make a little mark.
It was primarily in his switching with the £29m Firmino. Whereas Mane plays the position differently, looking to break in behind and isolate defenders, Minamino always looked to drift in.
Firmino, in turn, would then move out left. That was a position he actually took up more rigidly in the second half and he drifted in from there to score the winner.
That kind of movement is an interesting new threat in Jurgen Klopp’s arsenal. Not only can he play with the usual, very direct front-three but with Minamino, he can use something a lot more fluid.
It could be particularly useful against packed defences, for instance. Instead of players looking in behind, you can have this duo finding small pockets and drifting about the defence.
It needs time, of course, but their switching and movement was fun to see. And you’d fully back Klopp to turn it into a very powerful weapon for Liverpool.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
