Has Liverpool’s season been saved by Gini Wijnaldum replacement?

“Since (he) has been playing with us, he may be our best player. Hopefully he stays with that confidence and just keeps going.”

Mohamed Salah was certain he would direct all the praise towards Stefan Bajčetić after Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Everton on Monday night.

The 18-year-old was used in an unfamiliar role by Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, stepping in for the injured Thiago Alcantara on the left side of a third of midfield, but still managed to impress in what was arguably his best display for the Reds.

Analysis: Wijnaldum replacement 18 months late

Sporting Life football expert Tom Carnduff

Stefan Bajčetić’s early performances show Liverpool were right not to spend heavily on a midfielder in January.

His ability to adapt to different positions makes him a strong option for Jurgen Klopp and he could be the closest thing the underrated Georginio Wijnaldum has had since leaving the club in 2021.

Admittedly we are dealing with a smaller sample size but the comparisons to Wijnaldum in his final season at Anfield are there.

There are similarities in key attacking midfield averages, such as: B. Shots, successful take-ons, and XG returns, although defensive numbers favor Bajčetić during this short time on the team.

That’s not too surprising given his experience as a centre-back. Tackles won, interceptions and blocks underscore what he will bring to Liverpool’s midfield.

Bear in mind that Wijnaldum also took on a more defensive role in his final stages at the club and it’s easy to see that Bajčetić can finally be his replacement.

In his fifth consecutive start for the Reds and his third in the Premier League, the 18-year-old looked like a seasoned veteran in the Merseyside derby – a game of intense pressure considering the form and positions of both sides. That following his goal against Aston Villa made him the club’s third youngest goalscorer in the Premier League.

January’s desire for a midfielder was correct, although the Reds might already have the answer within their ranks.

Brilliant Bajčetić

Jürgen Klopp even pointed this out in his press conference after the game.

“We caught him [Bajčetić] in a new position; You really have to ask him, I don’t think he’s ever played the position before. He came here as a centre-back as a kid, played six for us in a couple of games now and tonight as eighth and in many moments as a double six, has done very well. It was a pretty good performance to be honest.”

In his fifth consecutive start for the Reds and his third in the Premier League, the 18-year-old looked like a seasoned veteran in the Merseyside derby. While Bajčetić had previously been deployed as an anchor in midfield, the deepest of the three in place of Fabinho, he seemed at home on the left.

He was the only midfielder to keep his place in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI after the 3-0 defeat by Wolves. Thiago was sidelined with a hip injury, while Naby Keita was benched to make room for the returning Jordan Henderson and the man he previously replaced at the team, Fabinho.

There was talk early in the game that Everton’s midfield trio of Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Amadou Onana would be too much for the lackluster Reds after their impressive display against Arsenal.

However, Bajčetić was more than ready for the middle third fight. He captured the ball five times, made two interceptions, won all of his duels in the air and was involved in eleven duels on the ground.

He was also quite progressive in possession, completing 50% of his dribbles and 50% of the long passes he attempted. He also finished with a 77% passing success rate overall, having also created two chances in his Player of the Match performance on the night.

Youngster not deductible

It crowns the meteoric rise this season. Bajčetić only moved to Merseyside in December 2020. The Reds reportedly overtook rivals Manchester United for the youngster’s signature and have agreed to pay Celta Vigo £224,000 for his signature.

He was part of the pre-season team and his performances in midfield caught the eye. However, few imagined that he would have such a transformative impact on this Liverpool team this season.

With players out of shape and the Reds resisting the urge to dive into the transfer market in January, Bajčetić was given the opportunity and he has made sure to take full advantage of it.

There have been reports that Thiago has been mentoring Bajčetić – her fathers Mazinho and Srdan Bajčetić played together at Celta – and settling into the first-team squad has been facilitated by a close-knit Spanish-speaking group that also includes Luis Diaz, Darwin and Nunez Milner.

He signed a new long-term deal in January and given Liverpool’s track record of topping up contracts every few months to reward their youngsters, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he gets better terms this summer.

All round game looks solid

The club would be wise to do so. After stepping in for Fabinho, he followed in Thiago’s footsteps against Everton and didn’t look out of place. Despite playing the role differently, with the Liverpool No6 acting as a checker when standing to the left of a three, Bajčetić was more of a Gini Wijnaldum in the sense that he wasn’t as involved, but his actions benefited the team.

The No. 43 was responsible for just 6% of all passes the Reds attempted on the night, significantly less than the 12% Thiago was responsible for in the loss to Wolves. Bajčetić’s average was much closer to Wijnaldum’s (7%), which changed the dynamic.

Since the midfielders didn’t have as much possession, the full-backs were much more involved. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson were responsible for 28% of the team’s passes against Everton, versus 20% against Wolves. Bajčetić made that possible. But he was much more progressive in his approach when in possession. While Wijnaldum would keep it simple, the Vigo-born midfielder wanted to get the ball into the last third.

Bajčetić seemed to take what’s good about Wijnaldum and Thiago when he played at left-back for Liverpool and combine it. He balanced their styles and this in turn left the Reds looking much more balanced than they have this season.

Bajčetić moved ahead of young teammates

This could well be why he got the nod in midfield ahead of Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho.

In games earlier this season, Klopp Henderson shuffled down the left (a role he’s not comfortable in) to put Elliott down the right and that could have been an option against the Toffees. He could have given Carvalho a chance as the German tactician said he thinks the former Fulham youngster could play as No.8.

Carvalho struggles to make an impact, although many of the reasons for this are beyond his control, while Elliott, brilliant as he is in possession, is not quite as defensive yet, creating gaps in this team. It also puts extra pressure on others like Alexander-Arnold and Salah. Experienced a few times earlier in the campaign. Some midfielders unwittingly impede others while Bajčetić appears to be relieving pressure on those around him.

Bajčetić may not be as good as Elliott or Carvalho in the last third, but he is much better in the defensive and middle thirds. His lack of offensive threat isn’t important when you’ve got opponents like Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo in attack.

Spaniard improves the team

Liverpool needed someone to provide them with a solid platform and he did so along with Fabinho.

Also, an easy option would have been to field one from Keita or James Milner in a midfield three. They have played this role several times, but both will depart at the end of the season. So why give them these opportunities when Bajčetić can influence the now and the future?

And what message would that send if Klopp dumped the youngster? Bajčetić has been the most consistent player since his introduction to the starting XI and has done nothing to justify exclusion. Also, if the Reds see him as a potential diamond, why not press him?

The feeling was Liverpool needed a midfielder to salvage their campaign in January. It looks like people are right about that as Bajčetić is proving to be the game-changing midfielder. The Reds need to manage his minutes carefully but the role he has to lose in Klopp’s first-team plans.

Analysis: Wijnaldum replacement 18 months late

Sporting Life football expert Tom Carnduff

Stefan Bajčetić’s performances show, at least in the early stages, that Liverpool were right not to spend heavily on a midfielder in January.

His ability to adapt to different positions makes him a strong option for Jurgen Klopp and he could be the closest thing the underrated Georginio Wijnaldum has had since leaving the club in 2021.

Admittedly we are dealing with a smaller sample size but the comparisons to Wijnaldum in his last season at Anfield are there.

There are similarities in key attacking midfield averages, such as: B. Shots, successful take-ons, and XG returns, although defensive numbers favor Bajčetić during this short stint on the team.

That’s not too surprising given his experience as a centre-back. Tackles won, interceptions and blocks underscore what he will bring to Liverpool’s midfield.

Bear in mind that Wijnaldum also took on a more defensive role in his final stages at the club and it’s easy to see that Bajčetić can finally be his replacement.

In his fifth consecutive start for the Reds and his third in the Premier League, the 18-year-old looked like a seasoned veteran in the Merseyside derby – a game of intense pressure considering the form and positions of both sides.

He became the club’s third youngest goalscorer in the Premier League after his goal against Aston Villa. January’s desire for a midfielder was correct, although the Reds might already have the answer within their ranks. However, at this early stage in his career, they must be careful to manage his playing time.

With the expected summer departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the aging core of the other options available at Anfield, Bajčetić should be a key name in the forthcoming midfield rebuild.