We are well aware of the quality that Melo possesses. He has represented some of the biggest teams in Europe (Barcelona and Juventus) and featured over 20 times for Brazil. Melo has made participated in a Champions League semifinal. He won a LaLiga trophy and the Copa America back in 2019. So all he needs is time to get up to speed.
He has not played football for a long time due to a lack of match fitness. He has started just two games in the last 132-odd days. To gain the coaching staff’s trust and his teammates’ trust, he has decided to keep training at the AXA Training Centre. After all, he has gone a long time without playing ball and did not have a regular pre-season before joining Liverpool on the last day of the transfer window.
Melo has been putting in training sessions with the under-21s and doing individual sessions to gain match fitness and sharpness.
He has now made two appearances for the Liverpool U-21 team. Melo has consistently been getting more playing time, albeit with the youngsters. He, however, seems to be buying into Jurgen Klopp’s ideologies and methods. Even though many have already written him off soon (given the instant gratification culture that we live in), he could prove to be a really smart and intelligent addition to this Liverpool squad.
James Pearce, who was at the Papa John’s trophy match against Rochdale, mentioned that Melo is continuing to build fitness. He was confident when he was in possession of the ball. He had a few good controlled touches. He also mentioned that he showed good possession speed and transition before subbing off.
Many Liverpool fans are excited by Melo’s work and hope he gets a fair chance once the international break is over.