A midfield combination that we haven’t yet seen could be the secret to success at Liverpool this season. We may see it very shortly, however.
Liverpool haven’t yet seen their most important midfield combination this season. That is, Jordan Henderson and Thiago haven’t yet played together. Thiago made his debut at Stamford Bridge but, unfortunately, it was the injured Henderson. Neither has played since.
We believe that the partnership between the duo could be fundamental to the team’s success this season.
First-choice
Fabinho is such a fixture in the first-team that for Liverpool’s three-man midfield, the two in front of him offer the real options. The Brazilian will shield the defence and it’s up to Jurgen Klopp what he wants in front of them.
This season, after Thiago arrived for £20m, it’s surely the Spaniard and Henderson – a £20m signing himself. The potential there is huge.
Henderson’s skills mostly lie in what he does off the ball. His running, pressing, and positional play are all fantastic and offer Liverpool tons in midfield.
That’s in contrast to Thiago. Thiago is very much a player who excels with the ball, playmaking from deep and looking to get the team forward.
They’re a complementary duo, then, with each player looking to offer what the other doesn’t necessarily excel at. And that allows for a lot of freedom.
Thiago doesn’t have to expend so much energy pressing as Henderson does it naturally. He doesn’t need to burst forward making runs, either, nor does he have to worry about defensive positioning quite as much.
In contrast, Henderson knows that Liverpool no longer have to play through him in midfield. Instead, he can focus on covering players and looking to get forward.
Versatility
There’s a lot of versatility, then. For one, if Klopp wants to play 4-2-3-1 this season, they’re an obvious midfield duo to play as the two.
But overall, no matter what the system, these two tick just about every box you could want in midfield. That’s such a huge asset that it makes them a danger against all teams.
It could, then, prove to be the combination that pushes this Liverpool team on to further success.
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