After joining the club in the summer, plenty of fans including myself were excited to see Thiago finally turn out for the club after being heavily linked with a move to Jurgen Klopp’s side for some time prior to that.
His time at Anfield started well with two impressive performances but an injury in October saw him sidelined until the end of December and his time back in the squad hasn’t been the most positive of returns not just for himself but for the squad, with the Reds suffering a huge dip in form and a lack of results going their way.
Is Thiago our best midfielder?
Yes
No
Thiago’s personal performances have been lacklustre at times and he has struggled with having to change between different roles in midfield ranging from a No.6 all the way to a No.8 – which has unraveled parts of his game that are slightly weaker. So much so that former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher pointed out on The Robbie Fowler Podcast that he gives away silly fouls and isn’t great without the ball, as cited by AnfieldWatch on Twitter…
Jamie Carragher on Thiago:
"He's great with the ball but he's not great without the ball and I don't think that's going to change, he gives silly fouls away, he's not great when the game gets stretched." #awlfc [robbie fowler podcast]
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) March 16, 2021
I can understand where Carragher is coming from in regards to Thiago’s activities off of the ball with him often giving away silly fouls but this is likely due to him having to operate as a defensive midfielder at times for the club which has exploited a side of his game that he has never had to pay attention too before joining the Reds.
Despite this, it is harsh to judge him on a side of his game that he shouldn’t really have to be addressed in this Liverpools quad due to him actually being bought for a different role – but injuries and absences have led to him having to operate slightly different this season.
What do you think Liverpool fans, do you agree with Carragher? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below…