Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara is an easy target for Premier League midfielders at the moment.
That’s the view of former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock. Speaking on Sky Sports yesterday, Warnock claimed that although he loves watching Thiago, he’s too easily over-ran in the midfield.
“I love watching Thiago, I think he’s an outstanding footballer. When you watch him on the ball he looks the part, but I think you fancy your chances playing against him,” said the pundit.
“That sounds really silly coming from me because I’m not a world-class midfielder, he’s an outstanding midfielder. But if you put me in a game against him to cover ground, to be on top of him, I think you’d fancy your chances. I think that’s what most midfielders think at the moment.”
Thiago an easy target?
At one time, these criticisms of Thiago ran a little hollow. In the early parts of his Liverpool career the 31-year-old was being unfairly singled out.
But now, there does feel like a little bit of substance to the claims of the likes of Warnock.
When watching Liverpool, it’s clear that so much of what they do goes through Thiago. At the moment that comes in equal parts good and bad.
Yes, he’s still an unbelievably talented player. He might even be one of the best we’ve ever seen in a Liverpool shirt. But he’s also causing the Reds problems at times.
Take Wolves’ opener at Anfield on Saturday as an example. The goal is almost completely down to an inexplicable fault from Alisson Becker, that’s true. Thiago’s part in it can’t be ignored though.
The £20m signing from Bayern Munich unnecessarily put his team under pressure by losing the ball on the 18-yard line.
Thiago did well to win it back, but his sloppiness gave Wolves encouragement in the press. A couple of seconds later the ball was in the net and Liverpool were behind.
That isn’t to say the Spaniard is alone in this problem at the moment, his teammates have been equally poor in isolated moments. In a season of disappointment, Thiago has still been one of Liverpool’s best players. With such high expectations on him though, perhaps he’s just falling a little short.
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