Thiago Alc*ntara | Still exists

Denis' cuff

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Not sure about his history but I wonder if it’s not just us that BM offload their injury prone crocks to

probably wishful thinking
 

Pexbo

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Does he lack mobility to play in Klopp’s system? He’s brilliant when teams afford him space, but he looks slow and cumbersome when pressured and especially when teams are on the break. Could easily have been sent off today.
He’s probably one of the most press resistant players to ever kick a ball. His first real game back isn’t one to judge him on.
 

Pep's Suit

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Offers them something different but maybe their style is more direct and physical that he shouldn't start games they're expected to win. In KO games or against United, City, Spurs etc. when you expect tight matches it makes more sense to me.
 

Berbasbullet

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Way he sprays the ball about reminds me a lot of Scholes, he will be a good signing for them.
 

Bebestation

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I really dont know why I found him always a but overrated.

I find that he didnt do much else except passing well.
 

Adam-Utd

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People criticizing him after his second start for us. :lol:
We hear about how good Thiago is constantly, Sky did a whole bloody montage on him just before the match.

first 2 minutes he makes 2 late fouls and gets booked :D then proceeded to be pretty bang average through the rest.

While he's clearly class and will get a lot better - it was pretty funny.
 

Pogue Mahone

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We hear about how good Thiago is constantly, Sky did a whole bloody montage on him just before the match.

first 2 minutes he makes 2 late fouls and gets booked :D then proceeded to be pretty bang average through the rest.

While he's clearly class and will get a lot better - it was pretty funny.
Yeah, he was gash last night. Absolutely rubbish. And that’s after a ridiculous amount of hype by the media. Which we should be allowed to enjoy without drawing long term conclusions about how good a signing he will turn out to be.
 

saivet

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Can we prematurely overreact to and criticise him for being shit if we beat Liverpool and go 6 points clear instead?
 

VorZakone

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It's possible he'll be an awkward fit and I agree with your City point, but I remember thinking they went out to Atletico in the CL because they lacked a playmaker in the middle, and if Robertson or TAA is out they may need that from the middle, since it's tough to get backup fullbacks capable of providing playmaking from out wide while somehow being defensively good enough not to get in trouble.
Funnily enough Liverpool were doing fine against Atletico and were 2-0 up until Adrian gifted them a goal.
 

tenpoless

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Robertson is shite
TAA is shite
Mane is shite
Salah is shite
Klopp is shite
Thiago is shite *new addition
 

simplyared

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Bayern got 22 mill for a player who is touching 30 who no longer fit in their team and was surplus to requirements. Good business for them!
Looking at his performance yesterday (and I am aware he's been out for a while) I saw a player who Liverpool don't really need.
A typical example of a player who has lost a bit of his edge supposedly in a CM role although playing far too deep and causing zero threat to the opposition.
He was lucky to have stayed on the pitch yesterday and should have seen red. Just cannot understand Klopp keeping him on the pitch for the whole game when he's got Curtis Jones on the bench.
 

spiriticon

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Liverpool should play him deeper to get the best out of him. He has a range of passing that matches the very best in the game, so let him dictate the tempo and play from deep like Pirlo/Scholes.

I don't think he is dynamic enough to perform gegenpressing consistently and getting him to run around like a headless chicken is probably a waste of his talent.
 

DRM

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Another good passer of the ball but how many fecking passers do they need? They already have henderson, TAA and Robertson who pass the ball well. What they needed was someone who could drive with the ball from midfield.

Having said that, i'm now fully expecting him to score against us :lol:
 

cyberman

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Liverpool should play him deeper to get the best out of him. He has a range of passing that matches the very best in the game, so let him dictate the tempo and play from deep like Pirlo/Scholes.

I don't think he is dynamic enough to perform gegenpressing consistently and getting him to run around like a headless chicken is probably a waste of his talent.
Dictating play fron deep is harder than you think. A team has to commit to it, you cant have 1 player back there who can play slide rule passes only to have him playing off of Henderson etc. They wont get him the ball in tight positions because they cant play those passes and when Thiago does play it out, he is playing the ball to players who arent as good as him so hes putting them in difficult positions they probably cant take advantage of.
You need players on his wavelength to do it properly. Having just 1 is no good.
Look at KDB when Silva left
 

WeePat

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*phew*

Found conclusive proof that Havertz is no longer the worst signing of the summer.
 

renandstimpyfan83

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Another good passer of the ball but how many fecking passers do they need? They already have henderson, TAA and Robertson who pass the ball well. What they needed was someone who could drive with the ball from midfield.

Having said that, i'm now fully expecting him to score against us :lol:
Henderson is probably the worst passer of any “top midfielder” I’ve ever seen. His performance against Croatia still haunts my nightmares.
 

RedRonaldo

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Bayern got 22 mill for a player who is touching 30 who no longer fit in their team and was surplus to requirements. Good business for them!
Looking at his performance yesterday (and I am aware he's been out for a while) I saw a player who Liverpool don't really need.
A typical example of a player who has lost a bit of his edge supposedly in a CM role although playing far too deep and causing zero threat to the opposition.
He was lucky to have stayed on the pitch yesterday and should have seen red. Just cannot understand Klopp keeping him on the pitch for the whole game when he's got Curtis Jones on the bench.
He was key member of Bayern treble winning team last season though... you are making him sound like deadwood.
 

Klopper76

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People were saying he's the best holding midfielder ever in the PL after his first start.
:lol:
That was everyone going nuts because he made a load of passes against 10 man Chelsea. People get carried away so quickly in football nowadays.
 

NinjaZombie

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It's his first game back, and he did fairly okay. Too early to write him off. I'm biased, because I happen to think he's an excellent player. He's the kind of centre midfielder you can't touch on the field because of his awareness, decision making and technique on the ball. He's the closest player to Paul Scholes you'll see in the modern game, and he is even better than Scholes in certain other aspects of the game.
 

podurban2

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Am I missing something? He was pretty good in the beginning of the season, no? And since then he has been injured. You can’t judge a player based on their first game back.
 

amolbhatia50k

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The hype surrounding Thiago is absurd. You'd think he was the dominant CM in midfielder over the last 5 years or something when in truth he's someone who has had a high peak but not consistently been right at the top whether due to injuries or other issues. There was a time when Barcelona did sell him and he wasn't doing all that great at Bayern either. But somehow he's begun to be revered in a manner disproportionate to his career.
 

WR10

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The unfortunate thing about Thiago is that he plays the exact same role Henderson - pace maker low risk ball recycler. Making one of them completely redundant.
It’s great for us because it means Liverpool will spend all season trying to shoe horn both of them in the team and be confused why they have no attacking impetus anymore
 

United58

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Is he Liverpool's Schweinsteiger signing? Player signed at/near 30 to general hype, was once one of the best midfielders on the planet but living off past glories now?
 

Bastian

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I don't get it. Out injured after that Richarlison lunge and first game back people are writing him off. Every time I watched Bayern he was a class above everyone on the pitch. Whether Klopp manages to fit him into the team is another matter, but the guy is pure class.
 

romufc

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I don't get it. Out injured after that Richarlison lunge and first game back people are writing him off. Every time I watched Bayern he was a class above everyone on the pitch. Whether Klopp manages to fit him into the team is another matter, but the guy is pure class.
I agree, one poor performance doesnt mean he is past it.

Thiago is still a class footballer, it is up to Klopp to find a role and position that will suit him.
 

Lord SInister

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I don't get it. Out injured after that Richarlison lunge and first game back people are writing him off. Every time I watched Bayern he was a class above everyone on the pitch. Whether Klopp manages to fit him into the team is another matter, but the guy is pure class.
Agree.
He is possibly the most talented player in that squad, and I am not hyperboling or over rating him.
Problem is, people don't understand how to rate certain players. Thaigo is a midfield dictator and needs time to settle and create a consistent style. Although I hope he doesn't fit in and Liverpool stays out of top 4.
 

amolbhatia50k

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I don't get it. Out injured after that Richarlison lunge and first game back people are writing him off. Every time I watched Bayern he was a class above everyone on the pitch. Whether Klopp manages to fit him into the team is another matter, but the guy is pure class.
Was Lewandowski injured everytime you watched Bayern or something?
 

simplyared

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He was key member of Bayern treble winning team last season though... you are making him sound like deadwood.
He wouldn't have been picked for the CL final if Ravard hadn't been injured causing Kimmich to move to right back. With Muller, Kimmich and Goretzka making up Bayern's midfield they couldn't find a place for him. He's got one year left before he can go for a free so they sell him for 22 mill to Liverpool. Bingo! Apparently Bayern already have a back-up for him so for them he was surplus to requirements. If that's the same as saying he was deadwood, I don't know. Let's say they got rid before he became deadwood and them Scousers came calling.
 

Judas

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I think the players ahead of him let the side down, wouldn't put too much blame at the door of a player returning from injury who still played alright. Salah was wasteful as he has been, Mane likewise and apparently Firmino played?