Charlie Davies has said Thiago Alcantara simpl doesn’t have the legs or fitness to start for Liverpool in Jurgen Klopp’s best XI.
Speaking on CBS Sports’ Morning Footy, the former USA international claimed that the 32-year-old midfielder’s inability to cover ground in a high press is why Thiago might not be a starter for Liverpool in the new season.
Davies said: “Who do you think is starting in the midfield? What is the best three? Because I think Thiago, he just doesn’t have the legs to cover the ground in the high press. That’s’ why he’s not seeing the playing time.”
With James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho all leaving Liverpool this summer, Thiago is now not only the oldest midfielder at the club but one of the oldest players in the entire Reds squad.
Whilst there’s no denying Thiago’s ability on the ball, the midfielder’s inability to last an entire game has been evident for quite some time, with injuries also a constant source of annoyance for the player and fans.
Indeed, with Liverpool spending big this summer on Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, there’s a real chance that Thiago will take a backseat next season for a new generation to come through under Jurgen Klopp.
Thiago could still play a massive role for Liverpool next season
Lauded by Mark Lawrenson as a ‘world-class’ player, Thiago is still one of the best players at Liverpool and a midfielder who has the ability to change a game on its head if needed.
And whilst the 32-year-old’s fitness issues are a major problem, that’s not to say that Thiago is completely useless for the Reds going into the new season, with the Spaniard expected to feature regularly for the Anfield side.
When fit and firing, no player in the Liverpool squad can come close to Thiago’s quality and creative output, and Klopp will be hopeful that he sees this version of the midfielder a lot more than in previous seasons.
Alexis Mac Allister names the two former players he wants to replicate at Liverpool
Alexis Mac Allister says he’s hoping to replicate countrymen Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodriguez at Liverpool.
Mac Allister followed in the footsteps of the pair this summer, becoming the eighth Argentinian to play for the Reds. Mascherano and Rodriguez made a combined 212 appearances for Liverpool, spending six months together at Anfield in 2010.
Speaking to liverpoolfc.com about the two former players, Mac Allister suggested that Mascherano in particular was a real inspiration.
“Mascherano for us [Argentina] is a big player,” says the World Cup winner. “He was very important to the national team, big character, so of course I watched him.
“We are not similar players, to be fair, but I know how Liverpool fans like that kind of game. It’s about a mix of everything. I try to be good on the ball but once we don’t have the ball I try to do my best to recover it.
“Hopefully, defensively, I can do a little bit like Mascherano.
“Maxi Rodriguez is another player that is Argentinian and was important for Liverpool.”
Argentine inspiration for Alexis
Ah, Javier Mascherano. What a little terrier. In the conversations about great Liverpool midfielders, El Jefe’s name doesn’t come up nearly as much as it should do.
Perhaps that’s partly because he didn’t win anything during his three-and-a-half years at the club, although he was a Champions League runner-up.
Maybe it’s because of the way he left – under a cloud amid interest from Barcelona.
But in terms of on-pitch talent, he’s got to be right up there. This is a guy who, despite being just 5ft 9in, transformed from a ball-winning midfielder to a ball-playing centre-back for Pep Guardiola’s fabled Barca side.
As tenacious as they come, Mascherano was a fierce competitor and a perfect ballast for Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso. It truly is a shame that Liverpool couldn’t get a league title over the line in 2008/09 with those three pulling the strings.
And then there was Maxi. Although he only spent two-and-a-half years with the club he left with a number of brilliant memories. He scored two Premier League hat-tricks during the 2010/11 season and also won the Carabao Cup with the Reds.
Hopefully Mac Allister’s time with Liverpool is a little more trophy-laden. But if he ends up matching these two’s personal legacy’s, he’ll have done well.