Paulo Di Canio has claimed that Thiago Alcantara is ‘not suitable’ to play for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
The former West Ham United striker felt that Klopp made a mistake playing Thiago in midfield against Inter. Di Canio felt that Klopp’s selection underestimated the Italian side.
“Liverpool did not win 5-0 in the first leg. Tonight, they tried to manage by playing with a midfield that underestimated the strength of Inter,” Di Canio told Sky Italia as translated by the Liverpool Echo.
“In fact, (Klopp) made the first two changes there, even if it is true that he also makes them in the Premier League.”
It is true that Klopp changed his midfield quite drastically relatively early on. Thiago and Curtis Jones made way for Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita with 25 minutes still to play.
But that wasn’t necessarily a reflection on how the two were playing. Thiago was just returning from injury and Klopp needs to be careful not to overload him.
Jones on the other hand was one of Liverpool’s most lively players. He was likely taken off to add a bit more stability to the team with Inter having pulled a goal back.
The worst take of the night
But Di Canio wasn’t having it. The 53-year-old famed for his short-fuse singled out Thiago for criticism.
“You can’t play with Curtis Jones, who is a reliable kid, along with two more experienced ones. And Thiago Alcantara, who’s not suitable for Klopp’s game,” he said.
Unbelievably, it isn’t the first time that this has been levelled at the silky-smooth Thiago. The Spaniard had to be defended by Jamie Redknapp after being singled out for criticism last season.
The claim that Thiago isn’t a “Klopp player” is a ridiculous one. The Liverpool number 6 is one of the best midfielders on the planet and could slot into just about any team he wanted to.
The 30-year-old has also been superb pretty much whenever he has played this season.
We’re guessing that Di Canio must have conveniently missed those games.
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