Takumi Minamino must learn from Xherdan Shaqiri
Liverpool man Takumi Minamino must learn from Xherdan Shaqiri.
The Japanese international was signed from RB Salzburg nearly 12 months ago and wouldn’t have expected to be in this position.
Minamino probably knew it was going to be difficult to break into this settled and elite front line that Jurgen Klopp has cultivated.
But, when he looked at the squad he probably saw an opportunity. With no natural cover for Roberto Firmino, and the chance to replace Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah when required, Minamino would have liked his chances.
Xherdan Shaqiri probably thought the same thing when he arrived at Liverpool from Stoke City, but three seasons into his Merseyside career things haven’t really worked out as he would have hoped.
During his first campaign with the Reds, Klopp tried something new with Shaq. He put the Swiss international in a midfield role but withdrew him at half-time because Shaqiri couldn’t operate with the required tactical discipline.
Klopp has since done the same with Minamino.
The Japenese international has now played there against Brighton in the Premier League and Midtjylland in the Champions League.
More from Rush The Kop
- Set to return, Virgil Van Dijk facing heavy criticism back home
- Liverpool making late comebacks all the rage once again
- Wolves tilt gives Klopp opportunity to tinker with lineup following international duty
- Players to watch in the matchup with Wolves
- Predicting Liverpool’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures
While he struggled against the Seagulls, things got better against the Danes and Minamino earned some praise from his manager.
"The Mirror reported that Klopp said: “Takumi Minamino played now only the second time in that position – once in Brighton, which was a different game, and tonight it looked already much better.”"
It’s clear that Klopp tried to give himself some wiggle room by including Shaqiri as a central midfielder, but things never really worked out for him and opportunities were always going to be rare because of that.
Salah as a first choice right-sided forward will always do that to a player, no matter how good they are. Minamino is in a similar position.
But if the former Salzburg man learns from Shaq and is able to adjust to life as a midfielder, we could see more of him in the side moving forward.
That will help, because the more minutes Taki plays, the more integrated he’ll become and that will help when he’s given a chance up front.