Thiago returns
He may not have started, but there was a name on everyone’s lips before Liverpool faced Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Thiago Alcantara.
For the first time since October, the world-class midfielder was included in Jurgen Klopp’s squad of the round and fans were immediately desperate to see him in action.
The Spanish international started on the bench, but calls for him to be introduced to the game had not yet subsided at halftime, as the Reds seemed to need an injection of creativity.
Klopp decided that his first move should be Gini Wijnaldum in place of Curtis Jones, but the second came 16 minutes from time in the form of his No.6 superstar.
Almost immediately, Thiago started running Newcastle’s defense irregularly while showing his ability to cut with the ball at his feet and his ability to operate on a planet unlike any other around him.
His sensational pass, movement, time and ability to dictate the game made the Reds start creating chance after chance just for the heroic Karl Darlow to produce more impressive defenses to deny the champions.
If that’s what he can do in just over 15 minutes after three months away, imagine what it will be like when he has a race on the team and is playing 90.
Crossing should improve
A striking feature of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool set-up is plunderer defenders launching violent crosses in the path of world-class attackers or down that ‘uncertainty corridor’.
But this was not the case in Newcastle.
Time after time, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson missed opportunities in open positions after the Reds advanced.
Underhit. Overhit. Displaced. Wrong.
Deliveries were not good enough over the first 25 minutes – plus a sumptuous pass from Alexander-Arnold to Mane and a beautiful pass from Robertson to Roberto Firmino.
The Reds started to turn the button after about half an hour and deliveries started to find their target, one or two complicated corners were made in the danger zone and Mane made a wonderful ball in Firmino’s head in the end of the first period.
Things also improved a little in the second half – there were two great opportunities for Firmino to come home from the corners, just for Darlow to make more great saves – but overall he needs to be better than the Premier League champions to ensure he makes the most of his opportunities glorious.
Sure, you can’t expect every delivery to be delivered at sixpence – although you’re pretty used to it – but you can expect more production, considering that this is a dominant tactic at Liverpool and the amount of opportunities players have for put the ball.
If Liverpool have any hope of retaining the Premier League title, crossing is something that should return close to its previously unfathomable level.
Virgil van Fabinho insists on transfer
The fact that Fabinho fit so perfectly into the heart of the defense since midfield, after Liverpool lost the best defender and one of the most talented central defenders in world football, is simply sensational.
Again against Newcastle he showed a masterful technique in the midst of the Reds’ defense.
The Brazilian international commanded and held the defense together when Newcastle threatened, making an excellent and timely block when Callum Wilson overtook Nat Phillips.
He excelled in the aerial game and made important decisions – one of which was to receive a yellow card in the second half when isolated with DeAndre Yedlin breaking and thus preventing a Newcastle attack.
Fabinho is so important to Liverpool, but he raises a question again about whether Klopp and Michael Edwards need to enter the transfer market in January.
He is playing out of position and his talent could be used even better in midfield, especially with Thiago.
Of course, as a model professional, he will not complain about doing an excellent job for Liverpool, but certainly, given his talent, he deserves to be playing in his best and most natural position.
The transfer issue
To the point of needing to enter the transfer market, you must think that Liverpool is having serious behind-the-scenes discussions about whether or not to bring in a defender when the transfer window opens tomorrow.
The Reds are in the midst of a well-documented injury crisis in the rear and the defense seemed very insecure at first with Nat Phillips being exposed at times and Andy Robertson needing physical therapy treatment against Newcastle.
If he had been injured more seriously, Liverpool would have had even more problems in defense, as Kostas Tsimikas was also out, but there were serious concerns about the Scottish captain.
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This does not mean that the Reds need another left-back, but that a player like James Milner would have to fill the left flank and therefore would not be available in midfield.
Milner was excellent in the 0-0 draw on Wednesday and that gave Klopp the chance to give Gini Wijnaldum a break, so it’s more to think that not bringing a versatile defender, who predominantly plays in the middle, to cover will create problems elsewhere, since Fabinho is already on the spot away from the engine room too.