Over the past three years we’ve witnessed the best Liverpool team for generations, accumulating 197 points in two seasons whilst picking up four trophies, including a Premier League title, Champions League title and a FIFA Club World Cup triumph, the first in the club’s history.
There’s no doubt that this squad of players have excelled all over the pitch, but today I’ll be seeing if it’s possible to build the “perfect player” by trying to merge attributes from current Liverpool players, with the only rule being, you can’t use a player more than once.
Brain – Fabinho
Whilst firmly cementing himself at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield during the 18/19 campaign, Fabinho dominated in holding midfield sweeping up after those in front him with defensive colossus Virgil van Dijk even describing him as “Inspector Gadget” because “his legs are everywhere”. His ability to read the game is second to none, proven by his emphatic performances at centre back for the champions so far this season in the absence of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Not to mention his appearances at right-back for the Brazilian national team as well, despite not possessing the attributes perhaps associated with a modern-day fullback he was still able to fill the role. Definitely an underrated element of Liverpool’s recent success.
Heading Ability – Virgil van Dijk
Speaking of Virgil van Dijk it was pretty hard to think of anyone else for this attribute, having said that Virgil is almost the most perfect player himself and so could fill a lot of these attributes to come. He adds a calmness in your own box when dealing with set pieces and adds a threat in the oppositions, personified in his Liverpool debut in the Merseyside derby where he added a sense of security to the back line and went on to score the winner at the Kop end. The flying Dutchman, I’ll always enjoy the video uploaded by his national teammates of van Dijk heading a ball on the ceiling, his leap, strength and dominance in the air will be perfect for our perfect player.
Physique – James Milner
Of course, in a team of title winning champions all of the players are fit athletes with superb physique’s, but at 35 years-old and still winning and lasting the longest in LFC’s pre-season Lactate test (a long-distance run) I’ve gone with James Milner. A model professional always working hard to keep his physical condition in tip top shape to still compete at this level. Lean, strong, not overly muscular but well defined. To maintain the career he has from 16 years-old to now is something quite impressive and this may not have been the most obvious shout for this attribute but if our perfect player can stay at the peak of his physicality for 19 years (and counting) then there’s no doubt he’ll dominate the game.
Hands – Alisson Becker
Well it’s fair to say there wasn’t much competition for this attribute, but nevertheless since joining the reds in the summer of 2018, Alisson has earned the status of one of the best goalkeepers with his hands but also his feet. An all-round solid goalkeeper who has come in clutch for Liverpool in so many key moments, saves against Napoli in the Champions’ League group stage that we go onto win with Alisson’s clean sheet in the final. The “Goleiro Gato”, one of my personal highlights was when he collected more golden gloves than he had hands at the end of the Premier League and Champions League in 2019 and then with Brazil at the Copa America that same summer.
Tackling – Roberto Firmino
Having already awarded Fabinho with the “brain” attribute it was quite tough to think of who could fill this slot, and naturally of course I went straight to the remaining centre backs, but after a quick search I was surprised to find that Firmino had completed more tackles (275) than all of Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and even Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League. Making him one of the hardest working forwards in Europe this attribute will be essential for my player, winning the ball back high up the pitch and in potentially dangerous areas.
Agility – Sadio Mane
He can turn left, he can turn right, the fact of the matter is you never know! And neither do defenders, making him incredibly dangerous in the final third especially when bringing the ball into the box. Mane’s balance and agility will be key for our perfect player.
Goal scoring – Mohammed Salah
Men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t. With two golden boots in 3 seasons, the record for amount of goals scored in a single season and also being the current top goal scorer in the Premier League there’s only one man this attribute can be awarded to. With him recently also becoming Liverpool’s all-time top goal scorer in the Champions League, overtaking Gerrard, there’s no doubt in my mind that Salah is one of the best goal scorers in Liverpool’s history and this attribute will make our perfect player a match winner with his goals.
Passing – Thiago Alcantara
Wow what is there to say? A new addition to the squad but a star nonetheless. A diamond in midfield who shared the pitch with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso and it shows! A truly blessed footballer who dictates the game from wherever in the middle of the park. The Spain international maintained a pass success rate of 90.5% over the course of the 19/20 season, a year that saw him lift a historic treble in Bavaria, a true midfield maestro.
Speed – Joe Gomez
Having already allocated Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane to different attributes I can’t also give them speed... so having said that I’ve gone with Joe Gomez, bear with me on this one! Gomez of course doesn’t venture forward in the same way the attackers do, in fact he’s never actually scored a goal, but alternatively going the other way he is rapid. His recovery speed is ridiculous, and many players include him in the conversation when they’re asked who would win in a race. If you try to imagine his running ability going forward maybe it can be appreciated more, but I’m saying our perfect player has Joe Gomez’s speed!
Dribbling – Naby Keita
Maybe it goes quite under the radar just how press resistant Naby Keita actually is, unfortunately at times his career at Liverpool has been stop and start due to injuries but when he’s on, he’s ON! One of the better ball carriers in Liverpool’s midfield and is great at breaking into the danger areas through the middle as an alternative to crossing into the box from LFC’s fullbacks.
Leadership – Jordan Henderson
Filling in the shoes of Steven Gerrard was never going to be an easy task for Jordan Henderson and it’s no secret that at times he’s struggled, but the turnaround to captain a side to winning the Champions League, after losing in the final the year before, and then winning the league, in an unpresented way again after losing it the year before despite accumulating 97 points, only shows the signs of a phenomenal leader. His teammates can’t speak highly enough of him and I always go back to the Champions League campaign of 2017/18, where Liverpool were in no way expected to reach the final but they did and a big part of that journey was Jordan Henderson. Particularly the home legs in the quarter-final and semi-final Henderson never stopped running, set the intensity and leaded the press, we pressed our opponents off the pitch in that campaign and Henderson was at the heart of it. A world class leader on and off the pitch.
Crossing – Andrew Robertson
Of course, it’s well known how crucial Liverpool’s flying fullbacks and their assists have been to their success, reaching the pinnacle of English and European football. I have given crossing to Robertson, but obviously, him and Trent have equally been a threat going forward. Robertson once shared he looks for the “gap between the defenders and the goalkeeper,” knowing how tough that is to defend against himself, his vision paired with his technique but also his relentlessness to always being in a good position to whip the ball in is what makes him the perfect crosser for our perfect player.
Right foot – Trent Alexander-Arnold
And of course, young Trent Alexander-Arnold had to be in this list and I was happy to compromise and award Trent with the attribute of right foot and therefore give Robertson crossing earlier. Trent for me is even more than just a crosser, his passing ability in general is that of kid who grew up idolising midfielders like Gerrard and Alonso and being a midfielder himself all throughout youth football, his technical passing ability is superb, even from right back. Scoring free-kicks on his right and striking a ball is not too difficult for him either so for that reason I’m giving our perfect player Trent’s right foot.
Left foot – Xherdan Shaqiri
Maybe quite of a surprise shout given the high-profile status of a certain Egyptian’s left peg, but my word on his day doesn’t Shaqiri have a wonder of a left foot. “The Alpine Messi” he was once dubbed, and with so many high-profile moments at international major tournaments for Switzerland and a collection of sensational strikes from long range throughout his career, Shaqiri’s left foot is no joke and is technically one of the most gifted player at the club. With the whip and power he can generate our perfect player is going to be LETHAL.
Original article for Tap In & Tap Outs: https://tapinsandtapouts.com/2021/01/25/my-perfect-footballer-3-klopps-liverpool-edition/
All words by me
Comments