Topic: Welcome to Liverpool Thiago Alcantara

[GreatEx]

As I have said before in this thread, I am somewhat underwhelmed by the signing in the sense that he was proclaimed as this generational midfielder and the best in the world when we signed him, and the expectation from that was, when he could play, he would be utterly transformative for us. And he wasn't. He was an utterly fantastic midfielder who slot in to our system really well - he didn't particularly change how we played though. And for as good as he was in that system, that was already a system that won everything.

The way he was spoken of I was expecting him to, when available, change us entirely into a team which, as Hogstein said when we signed him, "Would win everything" from that point. And what he was, was an amazing player who didn't really change us that much, he didn't massively improve us (although you couldn't improve us much at the time, but he was portrayed as one of the few people who COULD).

I guess for me it was the weight of expectation of this player being described as a real game changer a level above the players in what was probably the best team in the world.

There have been "worse" players who have come in and did more for us as a team

This post articulates how I feel about Thiago's Liverpool career. Lovely to watch, but his impact seems overstated to me.

[BarryCrocker]

Anyone got any info about whether he was injury prone before we signed him?

According to Transfermarkt he's been out for roughly 1,300 days over the past 11 seasons.

[HeartAndSoul]

Damn, that's such a shame. It's very rare that we sign a player of his quality and it's always been such a joy watching him play.

I reckon he may end up retiring now.

He should retire. Maybe could be tempted to be part of Xabi back room staff if he takes over

[jambutty]

He should retire. Maybe could be tempted to be part of Xabi back room staff if he takes over

Make him Rehab Room attendant at half salary.  100k quid per week.

The classiest bloke in pro sports to my mind and millions of others, was a lad named Bobby Orr, the Boston Bruins legendary star.

In his final move, he signed for the Chicago Blackhawks.

During the three years he played with Chicago, Orr managed to play only 26 games due to injury. As a measure of the man, he refused to cash even a single paycheque, stating he was paid to play hockey and he would not accept a salary if he was not playing.

[Mister Flip Flop]

Great player but playing him on the pitch is like putting a Ferrari into the Dakar rally you know it won't last past the first bit of rough terrain.

[Knight]

No, I mean the midfield got visibly better immediately last season, once he was out of the side and Jones came in. Three of his last four games last year were the 3-1 loss to Brighton and the 3-0 losses against Brentford and Wolves. Not that Hendo and Fabinho were shining lights, but Thiago was clearly the biggest issue. Even when he came on against Arsenal, the pace of our play slowed right down. We've moved on, and he was never going to be an important part of the team even if he did stay fit.

This is really wrong. Thiago was the only player making tackles, recovering the ball and offering any press resistance at points last season. His form probably dipped off before he got the injury that ruled him out for most of the rest of the season but he wasn't 'the biggest issue'. Henderson and Fabinho were so cataclysmically bad that they gave up on playing elite football in the summer. The improvement came not because Thiago was out but because Jones was in and Trent started to invert. If we'd played Trent inverted alongside Jones and Thiago from the start of the season top 4 would have been straightforward.

It's bizarre to me that people still fail to see just how bad Fabinho and Henderson really were last season.

[darragh85]

For him to be out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury it would have have to be a complete rupture and that wasn't the case. Even with a grade 2 tear he would have had to come off.

Dis he get injured walking back to the dressing room?

[Snusmumriken]

This is really wrong. Thiago was the only player making tackles, recovering the ball and offering any press resistance at points last season. His form probably dipped off before he got the injury that ruled him out for most of the rest of the season but he wasn't 'the biggest issue'. Henderson and Fabinho were so cataclysmically bad that they gave up on playing elite football in the summer. The improvement came not because Thiago was out but because Jones was in and Trent started to invert. If we'd played Trent inverted alongside Jones and Thiago from the start of the season top 4 would have been straightforward.

It's bizarre to me that people still fail to see just how bad Fabinho and Henderson really were last season.

Agree, remember thinking Fabinho wouldn't be good enough to start in any PL teams midfield at points last season, he was truly dreadful.

[jambutty]

Any signs of Lazarus with us in sick bay?

[Yorkykopite]

Any signs of Lazarus with us in sick bay?

Scored the winning goal last time he played in a League Cup Final. Might do it again.

[BarryCrocker]

Scored the winning goal last time he played in a League Cup Final. Might do it again.

Has he ever scored in two consecutive matches? 

[Yorkykopite]

Has he ever scored in two consecutive matches? 

Just checked. He scored in the match before the League Cup Final and twice more in the match that followed the League Cup Final.

[jambutty]

We're desperate.

I'll take him on one leg.

[Yorkykopite]

We're desperate.

I'll take him on one leg.

You might have to. He's still alive, but he's 85 now. His fellow-scorer that day is also still with us, but probably pissed most of the time.

[DangerScouse]

Sounds like he won't feature again this season or ever again in a red shirt. :'(

[Persephone]

Sounds like he won't feature again this season or ever again in a red shirt. :'(

What a sad end to an absolutely brilliant player, he was a joy to watch.

[Redley]

Such a shame. Was so good in our near quad season and then an absolute disaster since then.

[Samie]

Ask Xabi to take him on as a coaching member because his playing years are done.

[jambutty]

He'll get a fat contract somewhere.

[BarryCrocker]

He'll get a fat contract somewhere.

He'd probably get an injury carrying it.

[jambutty]

Is he still in the treatment room?

We should charge him rent.

[newterp]

Is he still in the treatment room?

We should charge him rent.

As long as he can pay by electronic transaction. Don't make him write a check - sprained wrist likely.

[rob1966]

As long as he can pay by electronic transaction. Don't make him write a check cheque - sprained wrist likely.

[TAA66]

Don’t think he plays for us again. 

[newterp]

Fuque off!

[KurtVerbose]

Don’t think he plays for us again. 

Sadly.

[jambutty]

He'll get a fat contract somewhere.

[amir87]

Did he wank into your favourite sock or something?

[mattD]

Xabi's assistant. Heard it here first (if you didn't read it above)!

[newterp]

Xabi's assistant. Heard it here first (if you didn't read it above)!

but we need assistants that will be available and not hogging up the trainer's tables!!

[ValiantInstance]

Xabi's assistant. Heard it here first (if you didn't read it above)!

I was hoping that he'd make an impact in the second half of the season and he might get a year extension with a view to this. Unfortunately this latest injury will likely be the straw that breaks the camels back.

[Black Bull Nova]

Xabi's assistant. Heard it here first (if you didn't read it above)!

[paulrazor]

They had a similar playing style

[Too early for flapjacks?]

What a midfield pairing. Stuff of dreams. Lucky Bayern fans.

[Black Bull Nova]

Both of those would be in my Liverpool team I'd love to watch the most (not the best, but good and good on the eye), imagine those two with Jari Litmanen, John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish

[paulrazor]

Yeah I always say purely for entertainment that Alonso was the best player I ever saw live

[telekon]

For aesthetics it's Thiago for me, all time Liverpool player.

[paulrazor]

I miss his dummies and shimmys

[Black Bull Nova]

For aesthetics it's Thiago for me, all time Liverpool player.

Litmanen for me, shame Houllier did not fit him in, I saw him mostly in reserve games where he was way too good for the people around him (that included some decent 1st team players as well)




The day Finland legend Jari Litmanen walked Wales ragged


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68501111




"Technically, he was exceptional. I remember going into the game, 23 years old and thinking, 'Well, I can run all over him' but it's hard to run all over someone when they've moved the ball away from you with their first touch because they know you're coming." (he was 38)

[paulrazor]

Definitely no luck with timing, Litmanen would have shown more under just about any other manager we had in the last 30 years (Hodgson aside)