Why Liverpool fans’ Gini Wijnaldum criticism is ungrateful and pedantic

Liverpool Twitter has polarised opinions on Gini Wijnaldum.

Gini Wijnaldum is usually a player who doesn’t do such to the worldwide fanbase though.

But with the Dutch midfielder picking up just one assist in his previous 91 games, some ‘fans’ have decided to take to Twitter to voice their negativity on him.

There’s always a certain section which, in some respect, are ungrateful for how far the team has come. Not only from the Klopp era, but from the Hodgson, Dalglish and Rodgers era. Don’t forget the early nineties under Graeme Souness.

Liverpool struggled to finish in the top half, let alone the top four, let alone win the league with seven games to go.

I suppose hindsight is a wonderful thing, and maybe looking back these people will look back and want this team and these players lauded – the standard they’ve set is so high.

Back to Wijnaldum though, and here are just a few examples of the criticism he has received:

And to an extent, they’re right.

The stats are a good metric of measuring player performances, but they are not the be-all and end-all which these tweets profess.

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Since arriving at Liverpool in 2016, Wijnaldum has made 183 appearances for the Reds, bagging 18 goals.

This seems paltry for a professed attacking midfielder, but Jurgen Klopp has changed and defined the 30 year-old’s career for the better in a more box-to-box and defensive role.

He goes on to explain the role Wijnaldum plays is similar to that of the fullbacks in 2016/17 – a season where Adam Lallana and Gini Wijnaldum both picked up double figures in goals and assists.

When Liverpool attack, the defence need protection. The fullbacks that season, James Milner and Nathaniel Clyne predominantly, had minimal goal contribution with the exception of Milner’s spot-kicks.

Now Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are given license to roam in freedom in attacking situations, Gini Wijnaldum and the other midfielder in the situations are acting as fullbacks would.

Stephen Drennan he goes on to explain Wijnaldum’s importance on a thread which, to these fans dismay, makes sense.

This therefore explains his role in its entirety to those who do not understand – he was allowed the freedom more in his first season as he was not established as an eight, and still converting back from a ten.

Since he has grown into his role so much that it is second nature. There is no better shielder of a ball in world football.

No player is free from criticism – but moaning about things which are pernickety at the worst of times, let alone when you’ve just won the league and are a year after winning the Champions League, seems a little harsh.

We’d all like him to chip in with more goal contributions – but isn’t that the same for every player? Everyone deserves a few more and will get more as time goes on.