04 Oct 2021 07:00:40
Thiago would have made a massive difference today, City's press badly unsettled Liverpool in the midfield, however Thiago is virtually press-resistant and would have grasped a lot more control from the game, and especially would have made Jones' life easier.

That being said, I'm really happy with the way we rebounded from that first half Jar Jar Binks performance. Rubbish first halves like that can just happen, but not many teams could suddenly reverse the momentum after the break and lay a couple on City after being severely pinned back in the first half.

1.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 07:20:46
Thiago instead of who though?
He cannot play in a midfield 3 against City with Fabinho holding, because you’re never going to see the ball for him to do anything with it.
All the 3 midfielders yesterday had a hell of a job getting the ball back off City and the athleticism needed to do that is just not Thiago’s forte.
Elliott was missed, he’s able to do a bit of both.
A Dacoure or a Bissouma-type player would be a great addition to the midfield mix I think.
I’m more convinced that we need to buy, hopefully in January, to bolster the midfield options.

2.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 07:35:15
Juicer you cannot be saying that doucoure would have done better than Thiago yesterday?

3.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 07:42:03
Thiago instead of Hendo would have gotten us the control yesterday. He is press resistant and could control the game by himself Jones would help him massively as well compliment him. Henderson was running like a headless chicken yesterday.

4.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 07:50:59
We need a Bissouma or even a Kessie who can do the running on the pitch for 90 mins. Gini's gone and Hendo just cannot do that over the course of a season. Ditch Keita and Ox to pay for Bissouma if the money is not there to buy him outright.

5.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 08:10:04
Thiago instead of Jones. Thiago/ Henderson/ Fabinho is Liverpool's best midfield 3. Thiago doesn't wear cinderblocks for shoes mate, he's more than adept at pressing the opposition and I've noticed an improvement in his pressing this season. Liverpool's midfielders were flustered in the first half and Thiago doesn't get flustered very easily.

Why would we buy in January if Elliott is back around January anyway? Why would that midfielder come to sit on the bench for the rest of the season? If he'd be prepared to do that then how actually good is he and is he worth having above Jones and Elliott in the pecking order?

6.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 10:14:09
Juicer, I disagree. Thiago in addition to being one of the most press resistant midfielders in the PL, he is a brilliant presser of the football when fit and on form. Just go watch the Utd game at OT last season where he was a pressing animal and shut Pogba down.

And you saying that if he plays with Fab, he won't see the ball cos City will have possession is not true either cos City ALWAYS have more of the ball each time we have played them and sometimes, we would let them have the ball and them press them by setting pressing traps for them in the half spaces, like we did in the second half.


IMO, the issue was that we lacked bravery in midfield to play the way we wanted to play cos each time we won the ball, we would either hit it long to nobody or our first touch would be absolutely useless. Thiago is brilliant with his first touch and him playing would have allowed the ball to stick cos well, he is press resistant. As for Doucoure and Bissouma, they are nowhere near Thiago's ability on the ball, which is what we needed.

7.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 15:17:50
Chaps keep wishing on a star for this dream midfield you want.
It may have escaped your attention that Thiago is out injured with a muscle injury after a busy end of last season, Summer and hectic start to this.
But I’m afraid that’s how it is is in England.
We’ve seen that Thiago struggles in a high intensity game after 60-70 minutes, so you’ve got to use him wisely and judiciously.
It may seem that I’m anti-Thiago but I’m not, he just has his limitations. He’s at his best when Liverpool are dominating possession.
That is not going to happen playing Man City, so, for me, I’d go with a more flexible player that can do a bit of everything but is more mobile around the park.

8.) 04 Oct 2021
04 Oct 2021 22:48:12
Thanks for bringing to our attention that Thiago is injured, Juicer. You don't realise that was the context of my original post?

Thiago didn't need to play 90 minutes against City to make a difference.