Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp praised midfielder Thiago Alcantara ahead of Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace. According to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Thiago Alcantara is “like a world-class golfer.” Klopp also believes the Spaniard has much more to offer at Anfield. Liverpool will face Crystal Palace in a Premier League match and we guess 2-0 football prediction.
Thiago arrived at Liverpool in the 2020-21 season leaving Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich with much fanfare. Unfortunately, the Spain international had a mixed start to life on Merseyside, with injuries hampering his first season.
This season, in Liverpool’s first four Premier League games the 30-year-old midfielder has appeared in three starting one, and coming off the bench in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Milan. Thiago was praised by Jurgen Klopp ahead of Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace, a year after his arrival.
During pre-game news conference Klopp told reporters for football news, “The start was not perfect, he got Covid, got injured early which of course makes things much more difficult. But he showed what kind of player he will be for us. There is much more to come of course.”
“It has been a year, but if you want it is only half a year because of all the things which happened. Coming to a new club, in the most difficult period in all our lives, he settled really well. His family is here, he loves it here, he was in the middle of the team very quickly. He’s a really good character, a really good personality and obviously a world-class player. It is all fine!”
Klopp added: “He played more often at Munich in a double-six role, but for us, it’s a complex position; you have to be offensive, you have to be defensive, you have to be between the lines, you can drop into the last line to receive the ball, but not always. But he is such a natural footballer it is not like we have to give him 15 or 16 different things to do in the game. I don’t ask him for constant runs beyond the last line. He is a playmaker, obviously, who can sometimes be a little deeper, but he must be there in the two ‘interesting’ lines of the opponent as well.”
“He has great vision and can change things with his passing. In a closed area with his passing, he is really good, and he can chip balls into each area like a golfer, actually. A good golfer. A world-class golfer! He does that without even thinking. I love the way he plays. It’s a complex position to be the number eight for us. We have different skillsets and we use different skill sets from time to time when we think a particular skill set makes more sense against a particular opponent.”
