SZOBOSZLAI: SMALL BREAK MAYBE NOT THE WORST
AWAITING SCAN RESULTS FROM NEWCASTLE INJURY
In the high-octane world of Liverpool football club and midfield, every injury sends shockwaves is understandably greeted with another groan by the fan base, and the recent news concerning Dominik Szoboszlai is no exception.
The Hungarian maestro’s hamstring setback is a blow for us all, coming off the back of a rousing 4-2 triumph over Newcastle. Yet, in the relentless pursuit of silverware (and that is exactly what’s we’re after if you doubted before) this juncture could offer a hidden blessing amid the adversities of a jam-packed fixture list.
Break Not A Bad Thing
With a tin hat on, although Liverpool’s midfield dynamo has been pivotal for, threading through passes with the precision of a master tailor and proving all-action for 90 minutes, there is another truth.
This break, albeit enforced, can serve as a reset button for Szoboszlai, offering him the respite needed to recharge and return with the zest that fans relish. The 23 year-old has looked far from his best for some time and as Klopp admitted he was set to come off just before against Newcastle anyway. It’s not quite happening for big Dom and let’s pray it’s a minor strain.
Still Options Available
The Reds’ schedule, while seeming daunting at times in December, presents natural intermissions this coming month. The looming FA Cup and League Cup encounters, followed by a breather before the Bournemouth clash, proffers a timely hiatus.
For Jurgen Klopp, it’s an opportunity to shuffle his deck and if anything most would be happy to see a full second string or even the kids away at The Emirates. This rotation isn’t merely squad deepening; it’s about ensuring that everyone is ready to go at crucial times. Elliott, Gravenberch, Jones and Mac Allister as options now seems dramatically thin.
Hoping For The Best
Consider the silver lining in the guise of an enforced sabbatical for Szoboszlai. It’s a well-documented phenomenon that mid-season breaks can yield a rejuvenated athlete. The player that ran the show against Bournemouth on the opening day and pressed so often for 90 minutes looks almost somewhat of a memory at this stage.
This season will be unforgiving and with City set to be breathing down our necks any second, ther is no real wiggle room. The only exception to that is the small break that’s coming up. Let’s hope that’s exactly what it is for Szoboszlai, ready to come back refreshed.
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Liverpool leading the race to sign ‘heroic’ 22-year-old midfielder, he’s a manager’s dream
The Reds have been tipped to have a quiet transfer window, having hauled themselves to the top of the Premier League table.
Nevertheless, rumours are still flying around that Jurgen Klopp is looking for further additions to his squad.
Italian outlet Tuttosport carry one such story today, claiming that Liverpool are now ‘in the front row’ to sign Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup.
This is reportedly bad news for Juventus, who are also said to be tracking the development of the Dane.
But with claims that he has ‘bewitched’ Klopp and Liverpool, it’s the Reds who reportedly lead the chase for Frendrup. As well as potential January exit from Genoa, it’s claimed that the 22-year-old could be one to watch for next summer, too.
Liverpool lead the way for Frendrup
With big money names like Joao Palhinha linked with Liverpool, Frendrup would be a much more ‘on brand’ signing for the Reds.
An under the radar player who has been quietly impressing at Genoa since 2022, the Denmark U21 international would be an interesting addition.
One of the things Klopp demands from his players is an absolute willingness to learn and listen to his instructions. His time at Liverpool has been littered with players who are perhaps not the most talented in the world, but listen well and work hard.
And according to Genoa manager Alberto Gilardino Frendrup absolutely ticks that box.
Speaking to TuttomercatoWeb about his midfielder after a big 4-1 win over Roma in September, Gilardino had this to say.
“He was heroic in the way he played and ran. He’s got room for improvement but he’s doing really great things. It must continue like this. He’s a very smart guy, he does what you ask of him and that’s gratifying for a coach.”
A midfielder who can run, has room to improve, is smart and does what’s asked of him on the pitch? He sounds tailor made for Klopp.
If Liverpool are indeed looking for another midfielder this winter, then Frendrup could be one to keep in mind. Unfortunately, we don’t think that they are. But you never know.
With Mohamed Salah going off to the African Cup of Nations, Liverpool fans will be biting their nails that his absence won’t make too much of an impact on the team.
Just like Erling Haaland for Manchester City, Salah has been the backbone for Liverpool in terms of providing goal contributions this season. But he isn’t alone, there is another Liverpool star who has been extremely productive and who is contributing even more than Haaland so far this season.
Diogo Jota has spent a fair chunk of the season on the sidelines with a muscle injury, but when he has been on the pitch he’s been firing goals, left, right and centre.
Since returning from his injury, Jota hasn’t even started a game yet but he already has three goal contributions, scoring against Burnley, providing the assist for Curtis Jones and winning the penalty against Newcastle.
In total, he now has 11 goal contributions this season.
Diogo Jota better than Haaland?
When you distil his numbers down to minutes played, they are even more impressive.
Currently, if you exclude penalty contributions, Jota is averaging a goal or assist every 95 minutes for Liverpool in all competitions as opposed to Erling Haaland who only averages a goal or assist every 99 minutes for Manchester City.
Those numbers highlight just how valuable the Portuguese forward has been for Liverpool. Signed for what now looks like a bargain at £45m, Jota could be the key to maintain Liverpool’s Premier League title push in January.
With Salah away on international duty, the Reds will look to Jota to score goals. If he can stay fit, having him in this kind of form will be a huge boost for Jurgen Klopp.
The Portuguese has been extremely clinical this season. As per Wyscout, he has a better goal conversion percentage (21.79%) than Salah (21.53%). Liverpool has not struggled to create chances so far this season, but putting them away has been a problem. Perhaps, Jota can now solve that issue.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has admitted that he might just have been totally wrong about his former club.
As one of the most high-profile pundits in the country, Carragher has given plenty of takes on Liverpool over the years, including this season.
Right from the start of the campaign, the 45-year-old has been insistent that the Reds are not legitimate title challengers. He even went as far as saying if they’d signed Declan Rice from West Ham, they’d be ‘six points clear’ by now. Otherwise, forget it.
Well, they may not be six clear, but they are three ahead at the top of the Premier League. Five points is the gap between them and the side that did sign Rice – Arsenal. And now, speaking to Sky Sports ahead of last night’s 4-2 win over Newcastle, Carragher said he might just have called this one wrong.
“Maybe I have been wrong,” the pundit admitted. “What I mean by that is that you can’t help but look at this Liverpool team and compare it to the won which won the league and it’s not as good as that team. That was an unbelievable team.
“But you then look at the facts and it’s a team which from the end of last season until now have lost one Premier League game in 30. That is an unbelievable record for any team, for Man City if they were on a roll like that, so maybe I need to start giving this team more credit and respect but I do still think that Man City have the edge.”
Carragher flip-flops on Liverpool
In fairness to Carra, he won’t be the only one eating his words about Liverpool right now.
Heading into the season, not one pundit will have had the Reds down as potential title-winners in 2023/24. Having finished fifth last campaign, they were seen as being too far away.
Ultimately, they may still reveal themselves to be nothing more than a top-four contender. But the way things are going, that doesn’t look likely.
Now into the second-half of the season, Liverpool are starting to gain a bit of momentum.
There’s still 18 games to go, so nobody should be getting ahead of themselves. But as Carragher says, the facts are that Jurgen Klopp has got his team looking like real contenders.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Liverpool is that they are so difficult to beat. Their only loss this season remains via a last-second own goal with nine men away to Tottenham Hotspur.
In fact, that defeat was their only one in the league since being beaten away to Manchester City on April 1st 2023. That was 31 games ago.
Clearly, a few too many of those games have been draws. But nevertheless, that doesn’t happen unless you’re a proper, proper team. As Carragher – and plenty others – are now finding out, that’s exactly what this Liverpool side are.
Everton have made a cheeky attempt to make a January signing from Liverpool.
The Toffees have entered the New Year in poor form. Despite a recent resurgence, Sean Dyche’s team have now lost three Premier League games on the bounce.
Owing to their 10-point deduction, that leaves them one place and one point above the drop zone. As a result, they look set to try and strengthen during the winter window. And according to journalist Rudy Galetti on X, one of their targets wears Liverpool red.
“Liverpool will let Fabio Carvalho go on loan also in this second part of the season after his return from RB Leipzig,” reports the Italian journalist.
“Some English clubs – Everton, Wolves and Leicester among others – asked info about him: the Portuguese, together with LFC, will take a decision soon.”
Everton ask Liverpool about Carvalho
On first glance, the answer from Liverpool here would surely be an easy ‘no’. No player has crossed the Merseyside divide since Abel Xavier joined the Reds from the Blues back in 2002.
But in reality, why shouldn’t Liverpool look to offer Everton an olive branch with Carvalho.
At the end of the day, they should be looking out for what’s best for the player and nothing else. It’s true that he has other options, but perhaps Everton would actually make a lot of sense.
The Toffees are struggling in terms of league position, but before their three-game losing streak they were actually playing well and picking up points under Dyche.
Coming into a positive atmosphere like the one the former Burnley manager has fostered at Goodison would be no bad thing for Carvalho.
What may help him the most though, is the ability to stay local and settle further into the area.
Having spent just one year at Liverpool following his £8m move from Fulham, perhaps Fabio isn’t yet fully acclimatised to the city. Moving away to RB Leipzig won’t have helped that, and another loan further afield may only alienate him further.
What is more, staying close by would allow Carvalho to stay in close contact with his parent club. Liverpool reportedly still see Fabio as being part of their future. So, having him close by to check in on would be no bad thing.
Call us crazy, but we’d be really interested to see this happen. Surely though, it won’t.
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