Thiago Alcantara has swapped last season’s Champions League winners for the winners from
the year before. Liverpool won the league title with relative ease last season and Thiago
will give Jurgen Klopp’s side further options.
Klopp’s style has evolved during his time at Liverpool. The 4-2-3-1 has become a 4-3-3,
the pressing has become more space- than man-orientated, and the focus of creativity has shifted to
the wide areas, where Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are the primary creators
from full back.
Liverpool’s midfield has primarily come to function as an intrinsic part of the pressing
system employed by Klopp, and to facilitate Liverpool’s high tempo, wing-focused attacks.
In transition, their midfields frequently act as the spare man in a phase of build-up.
That might be Henderson or Fabinho dropping in to make a back three to gain numerical
superiority in deep build-up.
Or Henderson or Oxlade-Chamberlain pushing up into the right-side channel to offer a
passing option to Alexander-Arnold and Salah and to create a little passing triangle.
Or Wijnaldum or Keita appearing on the edge of the box when Liverpool’s front three
go narrow to offer a threat in the area from a cross when the ball is wide – this both
offers a line of protection and a spare man to attack shorter clearances or knock backs
from the forwards.
Liverpool primarily create through long passes from the back, especially from van Dijk, or
from the full backs, where crosses and switch passes that open up the ball-far-side bring
the quick wide attackers into play.
That’s not to say the midfield are never involved – the pivot player, Henderson or
Fabinho, will play long passes into the channels or move the ball through the lines up towards
Firmino dropping in – but by and large, they are there to retain possession or screening
to provide a counter-press.
The spread of creativity by position can be seen by comparing last season’s top three
Premier League sides’ goal-creating actions, which are the last two actions that immediately
precede a goal. Excluding goals created from set-pieces and players who played under 900
minutes, the two Manchester teams’ top five creators are dominated by forwards and midfielders,
while Liverpool create their goals from the forwards and the full-backs.
Part of the rationale for acquiring Thiago was that Liverpool would benefit from a Plan
B, a midfielder who was less functional and more adept at playing the kind of line-breaking
passes that open up teams.
And Thiago can do this. He excels at sweeping passes that open up the flanks, change the
direction of the attack – his disguised passes that look from his body angle like
he’s going one way and then shift the angle are superb – and penetrate opposition lines.
And he’s an effective defensive presence, too. Last season, as well as managing the
third most passes into the final third for Bayern and the second most progressive passes,
Thiago also made 5.1 successful pressures and led Bayern for interceptions among players
with over 900 minutes. That’s why he was so integral to Guardiola’s vision for Bayern
when the manager joined in 2013. He needed someone in the pivot role who could anticipate
opposition attacks, read the game, was positionally aware, and could then turn defence into attack.
One thing Thiago isn’t, though, is a goal creator. He’s there to play penetrative
passes and to facilitate the quick transition from defence to attack. Interestingly, last
season Bayern’s goal creators looked most like Manchester City’s – a few wide forwards
but mostly midfielders. Thiago was often the pass before, the link between the back and
midfield lines.
And that’s where his value is to Liverpool. While the current system is working well,
Thiago allows Liverpool to do two other things perhaps a bit better. The first is bypassing
a high press without going long. Last season, Thiago took the ball under pressure more than
any Bayern player while managing an 89.6% pass completion in the league, the highest
of any Bayern player who wasn’t a centre back. His ability to receive under pressure
and then work a passing angle means Liverpool will be better equipped to play through a
press rather than over one.
The second is that more attacking midfielders like Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain may now
come into their own as an attacking presence. This is not because Thiago is better defensively
than Henderson or Fabinho, but as a result of Thiago’s ability to play the ball through
the lines. And this could be especially helpful against teams who sit off but also crowd out
the wide areas.
We aren’t going to suggest what Klopp’s best line-up will be – he will know that
better than anyone – nor is it possible to know which midfield balance suits which
opposition best or whether Fabinho will persist at centre back after an encouraging start
against Chelsea. What is clear, though, is that Thiago can be a hugely effective player,
injury concerns aside, and give Liverpool a different dimension against teams who press
high and sit deep.
The Premier League champions just got even better.