The man who's often referred to as "The Powercube" has been brought in by Liverpool to supply them with some much needed power on their wings. Long has Shaqiri been linked to Liverpool, with a reported relegation release clause of £13 million touting him as a bargain signing that is low-risk, high-reward. Here, we're going to dive into what type of player Xherdan Shaqiri is, and just how excited should Liverpool fans be for his signing. Let's jump right in.
A Brief Introduction:
Xherdan is 26-years-old, soon-to-be 27 (with a birthday in October), and has had a voyaging career. Starting his career with Basel in the country he represented at this summer's World Cup, Switzerland. From there, Shaqiri played for Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, then stepped into England with Stoke City as Stoke's record-signing at the time. It was a heck of a transfer saga, something Liverpool fans know all about, with the deal breaking down with Shaqiri's hesitancy, him being linked to Schalke, then eventually joining Stoke.
Shaqiri's time at Stoke was book-ended with a bit of madness as he left on a pretty poor foot, citing his teammates as having a "lack of quality" in a Swiss magazine back in March. With that said, Shaqiri did seem to consistently be a cut above his Stoke teammates as he fought to keep the Potters in the Premier League, but at times showed an unwillingness to really get into the sort of work that will be expected of him at Liverpool. Some were (rightfully) critical of Shaqiri's work ethic last season with Stoke, but I do not expect this to be a concern. We saw with Virgil van Dijk last season before his winter move how he was not 100% mentally at Southampton. At Liverpool? He has been committed and truly has made this Liverpool defense a step above where it was without him. This is a roundabout way of addressing attitude concerns some may have with Shaqiri. I think they will, in time, prove to be unfounded and nothing to worry about for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp. Shaqiri has come across as nothing but thrilled to be under Klopp and in Liverpool, and I buy into that.
Space on the Wing:
Long has depth on the wing been an issue for Liverpool and this is a massive step taken to addressing it. For all their ability, back-up wingers has almost never an area of wealth for Klopp's Liverpool. Teams, at times, generally featured Divock Origi, a natural striker, as a wing option off the bench. Of course, it is nice to have the versatility, but Adam Lallana's natural position is not the right-wing he saw time at while Sadio Mane was away at the African Cup of Nations two seasons ago. Shaqiri gives Klopp a bonafide wing option off the bench that he can play. This could free up Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi to focus more on being the best possible striker options off the bench while Ben Woodburn can continue to focus on growth in center-mid. Meanwhile, this signing puts less pressure on Sheyi Ojo and Harry Wilson as 21-year-olds who would not need to be rushed into the first team. Instead, both men could feasibly be sent back out on loan this season, Wilson even could head to Stoke. This is a great signing in my view simply out of necessity.
With this signing, now we're a step closer to talking about what every Liverpool fan dreams of: contending for the Premier League and Champions League at the same time. Jurgen Klopp is slowly but surely putting together a side that is built to last through more than one competition. Central-midfielder is well covered with Fabinho and Naby Keita being brought in to an already stacked midfield that only loses Emre Can. Now it is this Shaqiri signing, adding a viable depth option off the bench for the lethal front three. The defense was addressed last season with a stellar pair of full-backs and pair of center-backs that have proved their considerable worth. Liverpool fans will now have to wait and see the staff's next move. Klopp is reportedly secure with Loris Karius and Danny Ward in net, will this stay the same through the summer? What about Nabil Fekir? While his deal may not be happening, what about an alternative that can slot in as an attacking-mid? It should also be noted that Shaqiri also saw a portion of time at attacking-mid himself. Could he fill that role at times? Could we see a back-up striker get brought in with at least one, if not multiple, or Danny Ings, Sturridge, and Origi heading out? These are questions that a side who is trying to build a championship-level team will eventually have to answer. Manchester City remains the team to beat and every other team that is in European football this season, with the exception of Burnley, will look to renew their slot in the Champions League or take someone else's. This season's summer signings, whether it is just the current three, or any more, will be crucial in Liverpool's development as a premier team in the Premier League.
Shaqiri's Style:
Shaqiri is a player who, I think, can provide for a team through a multitude of ways. One of the primary ones is deadball situations. Shaqiri is brilliant with his left foot as a corner kick delivery man and also can blast home a free kick from a distance outside the box over a wall. That left foot has provided some magic moments also in open play from distance, which is a nice option to have, albeit one that you of course hope he understands when to utilize. Shaqiri also has a well-known bit of flair in his game and has can give you a trick or two on the pitch during a match. Especially as a wing player, you don't mind someone being brave and trying to maybe get out of a tight situation, but again, you have to know when to get a bit fancy. And to be fair, I think he's well-aware. One scenario I'm very excited to see the Swiss star in is on the counter with Liverpool. We saw his one-man attack on Serbia to score the winner against them in extra time of their group stage match, but with players like Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, and Bobby Firmino by his side on counters, I think that will be deadly for opposing teams and is an element that Klopp surely looked at when evaluating Shaqiri. He may not have blistering speed, but he's quick enough to get down the wing with speed and physically, well, he is called the Power Cube for a reason. He'll be able to hold off, and simultaneously hold up, defenders trying to stop a counter attack.
Where will he fit in to this Liverpool squad, though? I think it's fairly clear to see that he will start on the bench and likely see most of his time on the wing, but there is more to it then just that. As I briefly mentioned, Shaqiri did see a fair bit of time as an attacking-mid for Stoke City. I would place little-to-no emphasis on where he played at Stoke to pertaining where he will play with Liverpool, but seeing where he was put is something interesting to see. There are times where Shaqiri played more as a right-mid in a 4-4-2. He's played as a lone attacking-mid in a 4-4-1-1 being a striker. He's also played in a 3-4-2-1 with another AM, either Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting or Ramadan Sobhi when Chupo-Moting was the man on top. I think some of Shaqiri's best traits, like crosses and runs down the goal line towards the keeper, are lost when you play him more centrally, but you also gain some through-balls that are superb and coming to a striker from a more central location. I, however, think Shaqiri fits in great with this Liverpool side on the wing and cannot get over the idea of seeing him on a counter attack down the right wing. Shaqiri coming on for 25-30 minutes with fresh legs and getting past a left-back time after time is exactly what I think Klopp wants out of his new signing, and I think he will oblige.
Final Thoughts:
Liverpool seem to have found a nice idea in signing up players who are the stars for their national teams. Naby Keita, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, even a depth-signing like Ragnar Klavan, and now Shaqiri. Yes it may seem odd to add in Klavan, but signings like these that he's made seem to imply that Klopp appreciates a player who can lead his countrymen out onto the pitch and do it well. Shaqiri's signing is one that is not just cheap in this 2018 transfer market but one that can continue to highlight the philosophy Klopp has of focusing on the human aspect of football. Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, both men have been unsettled at previous clubs. Both men have found the form of their lives at Liverpool. Dejan Lovren was written off, Loris Karius seems set to be written off as well. Lovren is now in a World Cup final and Karius is set to continue his Liverpool career and retain a hold on the #1 position in net. On the opposite end, players like Phil Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho hurt this positive atmosphere and team-wide belief. Both men are talented footballers. Both men were shipped off. Again I reiterate that I see no reason to have concerns about Shaqiri's attitude. Questions of if he is physically up for the task of pressing to Klopp's standards are not without merit, but I don't doubt Shaqiri will fit in to the team. And that is something to smile about.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more transfer discussion, as well as plenty of other Liverpool talk as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball discussion.
A Brief Introduction:
Xherdan is 26-years-old, soon-to-be 27 (with a birthday in October), and has had a voyaging career. Starting his career with Basel in the country he represented at this summer's World Cup, Switzerland. From there, Shaqiri played for Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, then stepped into England with Stoke City as Stoke's record-signing at the time. It was a heck of a transfer saga, something Liverpool fans know all about, with the deal breaking down with Shaqiri's hesitancy, him being linked to Schalke, then eventually joining Stoke.
Shaqiri's time at Stoke was book-ended with a bit of madness as he left on a pretty poor foot, citing his teammates as having a "lack of quality" in a Swiss magazine back in March. With that said, Shaqiri did seem to consistently be a cut above his Stoke teammates as he fought to keep the Potters in the Premier League, but at times showed an unwillingness to really get into the sort of work that will be expected of him at Liverpool. Some were (rightfully) critical of Shaqiri's work ethic last season with Stoke, but I do not expect this to be a concern. We saw with Virgil van Dijk last season before his winter move how he was not 100% mentally at Southampton. At Liverpool? He has been committed and truly has made this Liverpool defense a step above where it was without him. This is a roundabout way of addressing attitude concerns some may have with Shaqiri. I think they will, in time, prove to be unfounded and nothing to worry about for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp. Shaqiri has come across as nothing but thrilled to be under Klopp and in Liverpool, and I buy into that.
Space on the Wing:
Long has depth on the wing been an issue for Liverpool and this is a massive step taken to addressing it. For all their ability, back-up wingers has almost never an area of wealth for Klopp's Liverpool. Teams, at times, generally featured Divock Origi, a natural striker, as a wing option off the bench. Of course, it is nice to have the versatility, but Adam Lallana's natural position is not the right-wing he saw time at while Sadio Mane was away at the African Cup of Nations two seasons ago. Shaqiri gives Klopp a bonafide wing option off the bench that he can play. This could free up Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi to focus more on being the best possible striker options off the bench while Ben Woodburn can continue to focus on growth in center-mid. Meanwhile, this signing puts less pressure on Sheyi Ojo and Harry Wilson as 21-year-olds who would not need to be rushed into the first team. Instead, both men could feasibly be sent back out on loan this season, Wilson even could head to Stoke. This is a great signing in my view simply out of necessity.
With this signing, now we're a step closer to talking about what every Liverpool fan dreams of: contending for the Premier League and Champions League at the same time. Jurgen Klopp is slowly but surely putting together a side that is built to last through more than one competition. Central-midfielder is well covered with Fabinho and Naby Keita being brought in to an already stacked midfield that only loses Emre Can. Now it is this Shaqiri signing, adding a viable depth option off the bench for the lethal front three. The defense was addressed last season with a stellar pair of full-backs and pair of center-backs that have proved their considerable worth. Liverpool fans will now have to wait and see the staff's next move. Klopp is reportedly secure with Loris Karius and Danny Ward in net, will this stay the same through the summer? What about Nabil Fekir? While his deal may not be happening, what about an alternative that can slot in as an attacking-mid? It should also be noted that Shaqiri also saw a portion of time at attacking-mid himself. Could he fill that role at times? Could we see a back-up striker get brought in with at least one, if not multiple, or Danny Ings, Sturridge, and Origi heading out? These are questions that a side who is trying to build a championship-level team will eventually have to answer. Manchester City remains the team to beat and every other team that is in European football this season, with the exception of Burnley, will look to renew their slot in the Champions League or take someone else's. This season's summer signings, whether it is just the current three, or any more, will be crucial in Liverpool's development as a premier team in the Premier League.
Shaqiri's Style:
Shaqiri is a player who, I think, can provide for a team through a multitude of ways. One of the primary ones is deadball situations. Shaqiri is brilliant with his left foot as a corner kick delivery man and also can blast home a free kick from a distance outside the box over a wall. That left foot has provided some magic moments also in open play from distance, which is a nice option to have, albeit one that you of course hope he understands when to utilize. Shaqiri also has a well-known bit of flair in his game and has can give you a trick or two on the pitch during a match. Especially as a wing player, you don't mind someone being brave and trying to maybe get out of a tight situation, but again, you have to know when to get a bit fancy. And to be fair, I think he's well-aware. One scenario I'm very excited to see the Swiss star in is on the counter with Liverpool. We saw his one-man attack on Serbia to score the winner against them in extra time of their group stage match, but with players like Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, and Bobby Firmino by his side on counters, I think that will be deadly for opposing teams and is an element that Klopp surely looked at when evaluating Shaqiri. He may not have blistering speed, but he's quick enough to get down the wing with speed and physically, well, he is called the Power Cube for a reason. He'll be able to hold off, and simultaneously hold up, defenders trying to stop a counter attack.
Where will he fit in to this Liverpool squad, though? I think it's fairly clear to see that he will start on the bench and likely see most of his time on the wing, but there is more to it then just that. As I briefly mentioned, Shaqiri did see a fair bit of time as an attacking-mid for Stoke City. I would place little-to-no emphasis on where he played at Stoke to pertaining where he will play with Liverpool, but seeing where he was put is something interesting to see. There are times where Shaqiri played more as a right-mid in a 4-4-2. He's played as a lone attacking-mid in a 4-4-1-1 being a striker. He's also played in a 3-4-2-1 with another AM, either Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting or Ramadan Sobhi when Chupo-Moting was the man on top. I think some of Shaqiri's best traits, like crosses and runs down the goal line towards the keeper, are lost when you play him more centrally, but you also gain some through-balls that are superb and coming to a striker from a more central location. I, however, think Shaqiri fits in great with this Liverpool side on the wing and cannot get over the idea of seeing him on a counter attack down the right wing. Shaqiri coming on for 25-30 minutes with fresh legs and getting past a left-back time after time is exactly what I think Klopp wants out of his new signing, and I think he will oblige.
Final Thoughts:
Liverpool seem to have found a nice idea in signing up players who are the stars for their national teams. Naby Keita, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, even a depth-signing like Ragnar Klavan, and now Shaqiri. Yes it may seem odd to add in Klavan, but signings like these that he's made seem to imply that Klopp appreciates a player who can lead his countrymen out onto the pitch and do it well. Shaqiri's signing is one that is not just cheap in this 2018 transfer market but one that can continue to highlight the philosophy Klopp has of focusing on the human aspect of football. Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, both men have been unsettled at previous clubs. Both men have found the form of their lives at Liverpool. Dejan Lovren was written off, Loris Karius seems set to be written off as well. Lovren is now in a World Cup final and Karius is set to continue his Liverpool career and retain a hold on the #1 position in net. On the opposite end, players like Phil Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho hurt this positive atmosphere and team-wide belief. Both men are talented footballers. Both men were shipped off. Again I reiterate that I see no reason to have concerns about Shaqiri's attitude. Questions of if he is physically up for the task of pressing to Klopp's standards are not without merit, but I don't doubt Shaqiri will fit in to the team. And that is something to smile about.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more transfer discussion, as well as plenty of other Liverpool talk as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball discussion.
Comments
Post a Comment