When Jurgen Klopp used the word “genius” to describe Xherdan Shaqiri’s assist against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night, it wasn’t an off-the-cuff remark.
Indeed, the word must have been in the minds of most spectators at Anfield over the course of what was a subtly ingenious performance from Shaqiri.
The Swiss international, who was given an ovation upon his 69th-minute substitution for Adam Lallana, provided only one assist in the end but he also had a hand in the opener, playing a perfectly timed slide-rule pass for Andy Robertson to set up Roberto Firmino.
But it was Shaqiri’s assist for Mohamed Salah’s first goal that delighted Klopp.
“I think he [Salah] would say thanks to his teammates, it’s quite difficult to score goals without these wonderful passes, crosses. The first goal he scored was a genius little link-up play by Shaq,” said the Liverpool manager, according to the Telegraph.
So with Shaqiri’s “genius” bearing fruit for Liverpool, it’s worth looking at his impact more closely. How exactly is he making his mark? And who is being affected – positively and negatively – by his form?
Top teammates
The assist for Salah against Red Star truly was a moment of genius. On the stretch, Shaqiri produced a delicate volleyed touch with his weaker right foot that ended up exactly where he intended for Salah to smash home.
Mohamed Salah scores his 49th goal in 65 games for Liverpool.
Unreal record.
Unreal player.
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 24, 2018
It was the kind of contribution that is easily missed. There was nothing flashy about it, and the level of technique isn’t apparent until you catch a replay.
Tellingly, it was not Shaqiri’s only piece of link-up play with Salah on Wednesday, or even this week. In the 11th minute, Shaqiri played Salah in with a lofted through-ball, only for the Egyptian to be thwarted by the Red Star goalkeeper. Four days earlier, Shaqiri put Salah through via yet another slide-rule pass, which resulted in the only goal in Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League. There is something of a pattern emerging here.
Worth noting, too, is that it was Shaqiri’s free-kick that rebounded off the bar for Salah to tap in his third league goals this season against Southampton in late September. Without the £12m summer signing’s contributions, then, it is conceivable Liverpool’s best talent would be on a run of one goal – and one scored through a penalty, at that – across 10 games right now.
The movement of Liverpool’s front three, particularly Salah, gives Shaqiri plenty of options when he’s on the ball. The 27-year-old has provided two assists and created four chances in 186 minutes of Premier League football so far this term. Despite playing in a similar position, this is a starkly different role to the one Shaqiri fulfilled at Stoke City.
Change in status
Shaqiri was far and away Stoke’s best player last season. He had a direct hand in 15 of Stoke’s 35 Premier League goals, scoring eight and assist seven while creating 77 chances.
At Liverpool, he has entered a team comprising some of Europe’s most talented attacking players. No longer a big fish in a small pond, Shaqiri is not expected to carry the team like he was at Stoke.
With fewer effective runs being made by his Stoke teammates, he was unable to influence games the way he has been doing for Liverpool, who possess quick attackers willing to make constant runs beyond the opposition defence.
Shaqiri has averaged 59 passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season; he averaged 31.1 for Stoke in 2017/18. This might have something to do with Stoke having less possession than Liverpool, but it is also indicative of the options now available to Shaqiri when he is on the ball. All of which is to say: Shaqiri is flourishing in a less pressurised role at Anfield alongside higher quality players.
Winners & losers
Winner: Jurgen Klopp
"Shaqiri, it's like he's involved in pretty much everything!"
Jurgen Klopp is full of praise for the man who dominated Anfield tonight
That's why they call him the Alpine Messi… pic.twitter.com/rrSuNE4Euc
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 24, 2018
It would be fair to ask why Shaqiri did not flourish alongside high standard players at Inter Milan at Bayern Munich. The same question must have at least crossed Jurgen Klopp’s mind when the opportunity to do business with Stoke cropped up in the summer.
But Klopp clearly saw in Shaqiri a player who could make an impact for the Merseysiders, however understated that impact might be. And the German is clearly pleased with what he’s seeing so far if his aforementioned “genius” comments are anything to go by.
Winner: Mohamed Salah
Another aspect that will be pleasing Klopp’s is Shaqiri’s ability to play behind Liverpool’s front three rather than having to sacrifice one of them to give Shaqiri a game. That means Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino can keep adding to their ridiculous goalscoring statistics.
Salah is the player set to prosper most in that regard. He has been in need of a confidence boost after a slow start to the campaign, and Shaqiri has helped him hit three goals in two matches.
Loser: Adam Lallana
With Naby Keita currently injured and yet to settle at Anfield, the most established other member of the squad who can play in Shaqiri’s current role – linking the midfield and attack – is Adam Lallana. As long as Shaqiri continues to make an impact, Lallana is in danger of being left out of the team.
Neither player is a guaranteed starter; Klopp often goes for a dedicated midfield three to support the attacking trio. But Shaqiri has surely edged ahead of Lallana for future games in which Klopp opts for the formation he used against Red Star.
Losers: Gary Neville and Charlie Adam
Shaqiri has had his critics in the past. His former Stoke teammate Charlie Adam accused him of failing to turn up “when the chips were down” last season, while former Manchester United defender Gary Neville previously labelled Shaqiri “unprofessional”.
Those assertions appear rather dated now as Shaqiri goes from strength to strength at Liverpool, a team renowned for their work ethic and togetherness under Klopp.
The post Xherdan Shaqiri’s “genius” impact at Liverpool has made for several winners and losers appeared first on Squawka News.
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