Topic: Welcome Dominik Szoboszlai

[Fromola]

Everyone keeps on peddling the same claim without showing any evidence for this giant terrible thing we've asked him to do for us.

Here's some data...

By the end of the 1st half of this season he wasn't even in the top 10 players for distance run across the Premier League.

His total distance run was 199.6 km

James Ward-Prowse had run 224 km for West Ham in first and the 10th most was Conor Gallagher of Chelsea at 206.3.

Even rat face at Man Utd had run more than Szobi at 213.7 km.

What exactly is he doing that is so abnormal for a football player, let alone a young fit athlete and that is somehow having a sudden and severe impact on his form? 

If it were such a serious detriment to his body it would have been picked up by the sports science team in his blood work that would have shown a slow rate of recovery.  Which in any event would have meant we'd adjust the amount of time he'd be playing or how frequently we played him.

Recall also that before he signed for us, he suffered a similarly abrupt loss of form that saw him lose his place in the RB Leipzig team for a period of time.  Was that also because they asked him to run too much?

Perhaps the answer is as simple as he's a young player that still has a lot of inconsistency in his game?

I think players coming from Germany always seem to struggle with the relentlessness of the Premier League and the English football calendar over a full season.

Is it more also that the role we ask him to do takes away from his natural game? He's was more focused on tracking back and running backwards than make things happen in the final third which he did early season. Is he more suited to play on the right in Slot's system?

[spider-neil]

Dom's problem is we're playing him too far away from the opposition penalty area. For his previous club and for his country he  is much more involved with the build up of attacks. At his previous club he was a forward.

[mullyred94]

Still counts as running.

Only about 15% of the time mate

[LFCEmpire]

Only about 15% of the time mate

60% of the time, it works every time.

[Jookie]

Same position as Gravenberch, Jones, Elliott, Konate, Nunez, Gakpo and others. Literally same position on the pitch as some as well.

Szoboszlai, similar to those above, has shown enough promise and is at an age where it’s easy to see how he could improve and be a real asset in future years.

Equally he’s shown enough areas for improvement that cast doubt on whether he’ll reach his full potential.


It’s not unusual for a younger player to be in this position at a top club. The challenge we have is that Szoboszlai is one of a number of players in the same situation in the squad. There’s also about 4 players who play in the same position who have the same question marks about turning potential into a consistently high performer.


It’s an interesting one for the new manager to handle. Can you carry 4 or 5 players in the same position who are at similar stages of their career arc and require consistent selection to progress?

[rocco]

Looked world class potential when he started … just need Slot to figure out how to get back to that .

[MonsLibpool]

It's his first season anyway. Very talented players and hopefully he can show more consistently next season.

Physically,  he needs to be more willing to make tackles. That's something he could improve on.

There's something there to work with.

[Giono]

From what I've read about Slot, Dom may be destined to play wide right for us rather than in midfield. My guess is that he'd thrive there.

[exiledintheUSA]

60% of the time, it works every time.

Sex Panther should be Dom's new nickname.

[Coolie High]

Same position as Gravenberch, Jones, Elliott, Konate, Nunez, Gakpo and others. Literally same position on the pitch as some as well.

Szoboszlai, similar to those above, has shown enough promise and is at an age where it’s easy to see how he could improve and be a real asset in future years.

Equally he’s shown enough areas for improvement that cast doubt on whether he’ll reach his full potential.


It’s not unusual for a younger player to be in this position at a top club. The challenge we have is that Szoboszlai is one of a number of players in the same situation in the squad. There’s also about 4 players who play in the same position who have the same question marks about turning potential into a consistently high performer.


It’s an interesting one for the new manager to handle. Can you carry 4 or 5 players in the same position who are at similar stages of their career arc and require consistent selection to progress?

I don’t think you can I said this at the start of the summer, would have made sense to buy another DM, rather than another young attacking midfielder in Gravenberch to compete with Jones Elliott Szoboszlai and Clark.

[nellyp]

I can't help but think he needs to be further forward. I agree that he plays better for country and last club, but he was (and is for country) more of a forward player. he scores for Hungary a lot, and is their shining star. it is sooo difficult that we have so many midfielders who want to get forward

[LFCEmpire]

Sex Panther should be Dom's new nickname.

Great idea. 

[RedG13]

Dom's problem is we're playing him too far away from the opposition penalty area. For his previous club and for his country he  is much more involved with the build up of attacks. At his previous club he was a forward.

He played consistently in the right hand half space that where he played a bunch for Liverpool offensively. Defensively he had cover Midfield more then the wing

[Bjornar]

It became very obvious last season that we needed athleticism in central midfield. That's why we signed an athletic player in Szoboszlai and played him in central midfield, not somewhere else. It's not like it's some big mystery why that became his role in our setup. I think it's worked, for the most part, though he's going through a difficult period now.