I could be wrong but as far as I'm aware he never played in anything but a midfield 2 at Leipzig. He never played on the wings or as a forward. EVER.
He was the best ball progressor in Germany for a midfielder and combined that with elite level defensive work. When we talk about ball progression were talking about runs and passes that put the ball in the final 3rd. He wasn't breaking down packed defenses. He was dribbling and passing the ball to others to do that by the box, usually after bypassing a number of opponents. Then chipping in with a handful of goals and assists to boot.
So again, for the millionth time, he has never been asked to do that at LFC. He has always had two other midfielders tasked with getting the ball back and then moving it forward. He has at times come deep to help just as Ox, Gini, Milner, Can or any other midfielder that was tasked with being the furthest forward did. But that's not his primary task and even less so when we're in the 4231.
In the 433 his xG per game was the highest of all of our midfielders and his xA was just slightly below while averaging almost 3 shots a game which was the most of any midfielder. Which again isn't asking him to do what gave him the most value, he's still the furthest forward midfielder.
Now in the 4231 we're saying he's working hard on winning the ball back. I don't know, I would then want him to actually be tasked with doing that which again is why Barca, PSG, Bayern, etc. all wanted Naby as well.
Yet in the end people are sitting here posting he can't play in a 2 or as a deeper midfielder when that's why we bought him and he's never actually done it here so how would anybody actually fucking know?
If you can't dominate a Wolves central midfield with 61% possession, then you've got a bit of work to do, do be fair
Are we talking about the Wolves FA cup game where Milner completely vacated the midfield space to sit on Hoever with Shaq and Jones on the wings leaving Naby handling Neves, Dendoncker and Moutinho on his own? I mean it's kind of a laughable critique really.