Why Liverpool need to move swiftly to replace Fabinho



 

Fabinho struggled for the majority of the 2022/23 campaign but he looked a little more like his old self following the system change for the final quarter of the season. This return to form seemed to hint at his decline being tied to the system rather than anything to do with him physically.

 

Yes, he looked half a yard slower but most players would when they’re having to cover even more ground. During Liverpool’s 2021/22 season, their No3 was part of a double-pivot in possession with Thiago conducting proceedings from the left side of midfield. These two played a pivotal role in the Reds being two positive results away from an unprecedented quadruple.

 

Last season, however, the Reds looked to switch things up. The left-sided midfielder was now mirroring the right-sided centre-midfielder for the 2019/20 Premier League champions and pushing higher up the pitch when the team had possession. With the full-backs also playing hybrid roles and not really knowing where they should be during specific moments, it regularly meant Fabinho was tasked with single-handedly covering the width of the pitch.

 

Given he was never blessed with blistering pace, it was no surprise to see him struggling to get where he needed to be. Whereas in previous years he was given a part of the pitch to dominate, now he had to be everywhere at once to thwart counters and transitional moments for the opposition. He couldn’t do it and the Reds struggled.

 

It is no coincidence that both Fabinho and the team looked much better once Klopp addressed the issues in midfield. With Trent Alexander-Arnold inverting from right-back to form a double-pivot and Curtis Jones putting in a big defensive shift in his new hybrid left-sided midfield role, Fabinho had less ground to cover and he started to involve himself in duels again.

 


 

 

 


Liverpool finished the season on an 11-match unbeaten run.

 

The additions of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai coupled with the form of Alexander-Arnold and Jones in their new roles had many believing there might be a Fabinho renaissance this season. The Reds also reportedly wanted to bring in Romeo Lavia to help share the defensive midfield burden, further sparking the belief that the 29-year-old could get back to his best.

 

And then Saudi Arabia came calling.

 

Al-Ittihad offered £40million for the former Monaco man and it gave Liverpool something to consider. They weren’t going to get this sort of money again and there was every chance a physical decline was just around the corner after many years playing a lot of minutes. Combine that with the fact Klopp has always said he wouldn’t keep a player at the club if they had a desire to be elsewhere and it made sense to part ways with the one-time Real Madrid right-back. After all, it is unlikely that Al-Ittihad would have made their move for Fabinho without encouragement from him and his representatives.

 

With the new season upon us, the Merseysiders are without a senior defensive midfielder within their ranks following the sale of skipper Jordan Henderson to Al-Ettifaq. Curtis Jones played there against Bayern Munich in a game Liverpool lost 4-3. Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic can both play there but are only just back from injury, it is unlikely either of them are ready for the away trip to Stamford Bridge.

 

Lavia is still a target and bids have been made for the 19-year-old but there’s no real urgency to get him in with the transfer window not closing for the best part of a month. Liverpool aren’t in a position to immediately throw him into the starting XI so are haggling with the Saints in an attempt to grab themselves a potential bargain. The Reds seem happy to endure short-term pain to reap the benefits in the long term. However, there are no guarantees it pays off but their argument will no doubt be why rush through a move for someone, paying the top price, when they don’t change the dynamics of the squad or starting XI from the off?

 

Liverpool had to make a difficult decision with Fabinho but they made it. It is too early to truly judge whether or not it was the right decision but it doesn’t appear to have been the smartest choice. Getting rid of both senior defensive midfielders without bringing in a replacement has left Liverpool short in a key department to kick off the new season.

 

It could pay off if they, somehow, manage to sneak a big name over the line before the window closes. But there’s every chance they don’t and it comes back to haunt them. Decisions were made and those responsible have to live with the consequences.

 


 

Why Liverpool need to move swiftly to replace Fabinho