John Barnes says Liverpool let go of a player who ‘would’ve been ideally suited’ to Slot’s setup

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Empire of the Kop

·2 October 2024

John Barnes says Liverpool let go of a player who ‘would’ve been ideally suited’ to Slot’s setup

John Barnes has lamented the summer departure of one former Liverpool player who he claims would’ve been a perfect fit for Arne Slot’s current side.

Jurgen Klopp wasn’t the only figure waving goodbye at Anfield on the final day of last season, with Thiago Alcantara also bidding farewell as his contract with the Reds came to an end. He’d go on to announce his retirement from playing just three weeks later.

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Speaking on the Seaman Says Podcast, ‘Digger’ highlighted the contrast in how LFC’s midfield has graduated from a workmanlike composition in recent years to a more fluid, possession-focused unit under their new boss, adding that the 33-year-old would’ve been brilliantly suited to the Dutchman’s setup.

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Barnes said: “I was with them in pre-season in America and they were bang into what they’re wanting to do. The personnel – who would’ve thought [Ryan] Gravenberch would be a number 6 and thriving in that role.

“In possession they’re making more passes in the midfield. They don’t have [Jordan] Henderson, [James] Milner and Fabinho who just work hard. He [Slot] likes more control in midfield. The midfield was really the three hard-working players, Henderson, Milner and Fabinho, those players.”

“It’s a shame because I think Thiago would’ve been ideally suited to him. [Slot] likes those kinds of players.”

From watching how Slot’s Liverpool master the ball so well in midfield, in particular the rejuvenated Gravenberch, we fully agree with Barnes’ assertion that Thiago would almost certainly have thrived in that system with his phenomenal technical qualities.

Unfortunately, the ex-Barcelona star simply became too unreliable in terms of his availability, having only featured for a paltry five minutes in his final season at Anfield as a long-standing hip injury towards the end of 2022/23 ultimately curtailed his Reds career.

It’s indeed a crying shame that such a gifted player was so frequently troubled by fitness problems, although the early weeks of this campaign show that LFC haven’t looked back since his exit in the summer.

Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have made for a brilliant combination in the middle of the park, displaying an ideal blend of guile in possession and industry and intelligence when they don’t have the ball.

Having Thiago to call upon would also have been nice, but maybe we’ll see the Spanish magician grace the Anfield turf in Legends matches in years to come instead.

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