Naby Keita gives Jürgen Klopp a question and a solution as the solution emerges in Liverpool midfield
Naby Keita’s performance at Brighton may have raised both a question and a possible solution for Jürgen Klopp to sort out his midfield woes at Anfield this season.
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Jürgen Klopp’s problems in midfield have been persistent as a tooth this season. And the more he refuses to leave, the bigger the gap becomes in Liverpool’s midfield. Solutions are hard to come by, but it appears Liverpool are not rushing to the doctor in the January transfer window, preferring to wait for surgery in the summer.
That means Klopp will have to deal with the club’s problems internally, and while there’s no escaping a rotten tooth, the pain can be eased with a few home remedies, of which Liverpool may have found the one they’ll need the most against Brighton .
For the third game in a row, Klopp’s starting midfield at Liverpool remained the same. It has hardly happened all season, but it could be a telltale sign that the Liverpool boss has finally found a formula that could work. He’s an unorthodox midfielder, and not one that many Liverpool fans predicted he would ever start at the start of the season. At the base is Stefan Bajčetić, an academy graduate from Kirkby who has benefited from Fabinho’s shaky form this season and has in fact provided some midfield stability in the last three games.
On the left is a midfielder who has carried Liverpool on his back in Thiago Alcântara and is probably the only Liverpool midfielder who cannot be accused of slacking off this season.
Klopp’s right midfielder is perhaps the biggest surprise. Naby Keïta’s enigmatic presence at Anfield has been one of football’s greatest mysteries. A player who has never had nagging injuries in his entire career has suffered since arriving on Merseyside. And as a result, his redshirt career stuttered. From brilliant flashes to surprising displays of incompetence, it was a strange and wild ride for the Guinean.
Still, Keïta, at his best and in form, is one of Liverpool’s best midfielders and Brighton have proven that. His finest moment came when he dispossessed Brighton in the middle of the park and routed Mohamed Salah with a superb pass, who then found a game for Harvey Elliott to give Liverpool the opener. The second probably came after he went off the field. Liverpool struggled to control the game in his absence as much as they did when Keita pulled the strings, and the Guinean’s performance needs consideration for Klopp.
It’s the fix Liverpool need, but it’s a fix that will also raise questions. A contract expiring at the end of the season will keep many busy. Surely, even one last hurray won’t be enough to redeem himself and earn another deal. Or could he?
Only Klopp can know the answer. But one thing is clear: the midfield of Keïta, Thiago and Bajčetić could be Liverpool’s solution to hiding the pain for the rest of a long and exhausting season.