As stories begin to ramp up regarding our transfer links with Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara, there has been growing hostilities towards one Liverpool player that I cannot understand.
Georginio Wijnaldum is a player that has become part of the Anfield fabric, after scoring an important double that helped us topple Barcelona 4-0 in, arguably, the greatest European night in Liverpool’s history.
But this is not good enough for some parts of the fanbase, who have been on his case for some time. It might be something to do with the fact that he comes up short compared to others in the league as far as goals and assists are concerned.
This is somewhat a fair argument, but the amount of the work that Wijnaldum does goes unappreciated.
Would you sacrifice Wijnaldum to bring in Thiago?
Yes
No
For me, he brings a lot of energy to the team, possesses lots of upper body strength considering he is 5ft 7 and is a great passer of the ball, averaging a pass success rate of 90.8% from 37 Premier League appearances, as per Whoscored.
Wijnaldum has been a significant member of the squad that has helped us generate 196 points over two seasons and has only missed five games during this time. This must mean that Wijnaldum is doing something right.
The Dutchman now has the chance to prove his critics wrong, particularly those on social media who hounded him on his personal Twitter account following our Community Shield defeat to Arsenal last weekend, which infuriated me.
Once again, it is a case of small minds that possess small memories. I really hate to attack other members of our fanbase and I believe we have the best supporters in the world. At the same time, we are quick to overreact when things aren’t going our way.
Manager Jurgen Klopp should stick with him, and I’m sure he will. Allowing him to start the first Premier League game of the season against Leeds United on September 12th will give him the chance to prove his doubters wrong.
The 61-cap international has stuck with us during the bad times of Kyiv, he owes us no loyalty after helping us win the Champions League and the Premier League. Now, I hope Wijnaldum can get on the scoresheet during our season-opener more than anything.