Thiago Alcantara’s Latest Issue Encapsulates His Liverpool career
It was news Liverpool supporters didn’t want, but it hardly surprised them.
It was announced this week that Thiago Alcantara will miss the remaining games of the season due to an ongoing hip problem and that surgery is set to fix the problem.
It’s been a season of ups and downs for Thiago, with the silky Spaniard missing most of the season with the odd illness. Thiago has made just 18 league appearances for Liverpool this season, starting just 42% of games in all competitions.
A hamstring problem kept him away from the team for the first part of the season. He returned towards the end of the year only to be struck with hip problems in February and the problem hasn’t really gone away.
The end result is that surgery is required to solve the problem, thus ending Thiago’s season.
Thiago, who has Velcro feet but a glass body, has frustrated and delighted fans in equal measure. When he plays, he clearly makes a difference. In fact, there is no one in the current roster who has the kind of technical wizardry. The way Thiago possesses the ball, or better yet, caresses it, is a joy to behold and his Champions League goal against Porto last season remains one of the best goals scored at Anfield in recent years Road were seen.
On the other hand, due to his numerous injuries, you can never count on him to survive an entire season unscathed. Thiago has missed around 65 games for Liverpool in his three seasons in England: that’s a full league season out of action if you’re watching from the touchline.
The idea is that Liverpool, who have little to play this season, want to fit and fire Thiago next season and if he cuts his season now, he will fit and fire at the start of the next. It sounds good on paper, but considering Thiago’s injury record since arriving at Liverpool, one shouldn’t hold one’s breath when the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich star sadly remains fit for long.
The jury is still out on whether or not Thiago was a Liverpool success. Nobody denies his quality but many believe Thiago’s uniqueness and the things that make him unique within the squad aren’t particularly suited to Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp has no doubt tried to change things up a bit with the signing of Thiago but in many ways he has slowed down Liverpool’s midfield.
This can be argued in two ways: first, he helps Liverpool control games, something Klopp’s side lacked before his arrival. Secondly, when Liverpool need to regain the ball high up the field, Thiago lacks the momentum to press as high and relentlessly as Klopp likes.
With Fabinho and Jordan Henderson showing signs of slowing down this season, particularly in the former, Thiago has looked more exposed in midfield when playing without cover to hide his weaknesses.
With Liverpool’s midfield in for a much-needed revolution this summer, it remains to be seen what the 32-year-old’s future holds next season. He is entering the final year of his contract and while a sale is unlikely this summer, Thiago could be used sparingly amid a changing midfield.
Was Thiago a success for Liverpool? The truth lies somewhere in the middle.
follow me Twitter.