Pep Lijnders has claimed that it takes a special kind of player to have the impact that Luis Diaz has had at Liverpool.
Lijnders spoke to The Athletic about how Liverpool’s latest recruit has settled in so quickly since joining the club in January.
“It’s quality. Special players can make fast starts,” said Lijnders. “We knew there were just a few players in Europe who could come in and play immediately. Luis’ adaptation has been outstanding.”
The Reds assistant manager went on to name the attributes that have made Diaz’s transition from Porto to Liverpool so smooth.
“He has an incredible capacity to be connected to the game and his team-mates for the full 90 minutes,” said Pep. “He is a constant threat and is the kind of player who always seems to have space and time.”
It would be interesting to hear who Lijnders has down as the other players who could have had a similar impact as Diaz. Perhaps one or two will be on Liverpool’s shopping list this summer.
Mane’s new lease of life
What Diaz has given to this Liverpool team can’t be measured in numbers alone. His three goals and one assist in 14 games isn’t particularly impressive on the face of it.
More noteworthy is the affect he has had on his teammates and their performances.
Prior to Diaz’s arrival, Sadio Mane was looking a little jaded. After a decent start to the season he had slumped back into the disappointing form of last season.
Diaz’s signing seems to have lit a fire under Liverpool’s number 10, though. Mane has six goals in the 11 games he has started since the Colombian was brought in.
As many saw Diaz as a potential replacement for Mane, maybe it has just given the Senegalese a reminder that his place in the team isn’t as secure as it once was. Healthy competition in the forward line has been a long time coming.
Giving Liverpool another dimension
Along with raising his teammate’s games, Diaz has often been electric without troubling the scoresheet. The 25-year-old is a player who gets you off your seat when he has the ball.
This injection seems to have lifted the entire club, somehow. Since Diaz’s debut, Liverpool have won 13 of their 16 games, lifted the Carabao Cup and are on the cusp of advancing to the Champions League semi-final.
It would be wrong to suggest that’s in any way all down to Diaz, but he has certainly given Liverpool a big push as they aim for a historic quadruple.
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