When Liverpool signed Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020 the fans were sold a beautiful dream. Here was a world class footballer with the vision and technical ability to unlock deep block defences with the swivel of his hips and a passing range that was unmatched in the world game.
However, with just four assists and two goals in the Premier League over a three yea,r injury ravaged spell I think it’s time to admit that the dream being pushed never came to fruition. Yes, Thiago looks slick at times and yes, he upped his work rate from his time at other clubs, but he never fully lived up to the creative maestro tag that Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were hoping for.
There will be those that say Thiago is a Rolls Royce being driven like Range Rover meaning the system never fully suited his naturally abilities. But seeing what Trent Alexander-Arnold has produced in recent weeks playing a similar role I fully believe it’s time to cash in on the Spaniard and put the money elsewhere.
Trent was immense once again playing his hybrid midfield role as Liverpool dispatched of Brentford 1-0 for their sixth win on the trot. His vision, speed of play and accuracy of passing was at the centre of everything good the reds produced and is exactly what we all hoped Thiago would bring to the team. He should have had his seventh assist in as many games when he pulled out the pitching wedge and found Darwin Nunez in Brentford’s penalty area but the Uruguayan striker continued his miserable run in front of goal and failed to make any significant contact.
Mo Salah did manage to poke the ball home though for his 186th in a red shirt and in doing so became the first Liverpool play to score in nine home games in row while equalling Steven Gerrard’s total goals tally. It certainly wasn’t his cleanest strike but they all count and it was enough to see Jurgen Klopp’s men move within one point of fourth place Manchester Utd.
Making top four is still a tall order but if we can win the rest of our games then the pressure will be on United to grind out the final few points they need to secure Champions League football.