Liverpool brought in Thiago from Bayern Munich last summer and the Spanish midfielder was supposed to take the Premier League by storm this season.
Sadly none of that has happened and right now, the midfielder is really struggling to pull out constant top-class performances on the pitch and there have been multiple times when he has been found wanting. During the 2020-21 season, he has played in 15 league matches so far failing to score or assist even a single goal.
Against RB Leipzig last week, Thiago had a much more improved game with Fabinho by his side and according to Jamie Carragher, there are a few reasons why the 29-year-old is yet to hit peak form in the English top division.
He said on The Robbie Fowler Podcast: “I feel sorry for him a little bit. He’s played two or three different roles in midfield. He’s played the deepest position, now he’s playing a little bit higher.
“He was very good against Leipzig and you can see the knock on effect of having Fabinho next to him. I think you saw a glimpse of what we could see from Thiago going forward. I don’t think we’ll see a completely different Thiago next season when everyone is fit and firing.
“He’s had some really good games but he’s really good with the ball – but not great without it. I don’t think that’s going to change, he gives silly fouls away, he’s not great when the game gets stretched.
“The problem he’s had is, Liverpool games have become stretched a lot because Liverpool have been losing. They haven’t got the first goal and the game gets stretched, it goes end-to-end, Liverpool are desperate to get back into the game.
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“He’s desperate to cover such a big area and he can’t do it. That’s not a criticism, that’s a fact of what Thiago is like as a player.”
Having Fabinho by his side has really helped Thiago play a more fluid brand of football and with the Brazilian operating in defensive midfield, Thiago no longer has to worry about constantly chasing back.
Also, another big reason why the 29-year-old is struggling in the Premier League is because the pace of football in this country is just relentless. In Germany, apart from a few top clubs, all the other matches were more or less regulation wins for Bayern Munich but in England, every team has the capability of pulling out a surprise performance in every matchweek.
Thiago will undoubtedly come good in the long run but if Liverpool fail to retain their Champions League status next season then a lot of questions marks will arise on the player’s abilities and also about Jurgen Klopp’s decision to sign him in the first place.
