Jürgen Klopp’s midfield problem continues to persist with Fabinho struggling but Liverpool might soon be able to solve it with a Harvey Elliott repeat.
Liverpool’s Fabinho problem this season hasn’t necessarily just been about the Brazilian, but he seems to be the one who is constantly singled out for criticism.
It’s true Fabinho’s form has dipped, and at 29 years old, sooner or later, Liverpool will have to consider replacing the holding midfielder, but Jürgen Klopp’s issues stem far further than just him being out of form.
First, with the absence of players like Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota as well as the now departed Sadio Mané, Liverpool has lost its offensive shape in defensive transitions.
The aforementioned players used to smother the opposition as soon as they were out of possession but now players like Darwin Núñez or even Mohamed Salah, are not capable of doing that on a frequent enough basis which then forces the midfielders to push up higher leaving Fabinho isolated on all on his own, and then subsequently the defense being exposed.
This problem won’t be solved by bringing in another midfielder; it will have to be resolved structurally or through recruitment. One such possible option could be the fact that Klopp transforms his midfield into a double pivot in order to provide more protection for his defense.
Right now, he doesn’t necessarily have enough midfielders of that profile who could play in such a system. But in the summer that could change.
One player who has benefited from being away from Anfield this season has been Tyler Morton. Last season, the Liverpool academy graduate was often called upon by Klopp to step into Fabinho’s shoes and he generally did well.
But it’s clear he wasn’t quite physically ready for the challenge of making the step up. A season in the Championship with Blackburn, though, seems to have put him in good stead.
Morton has settled in well at Blackburn and has become a regular for the Championship side. He’s featured in all of Blackburn’s matches in the Championship so far, starting in 22 of a possible 27 matches and he’s also registered four assists in all competitions.
Tyler Morton has been impressive for Blackburn. (Image: Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Very much in good form and standing out in the Championship among his age peers, Morton has also received a first call-up to England U21 duty and was rewarded with a new contract at Liverpool at the start of January.
He will not fix all of Klopp’s problems in midfield, but perhaps FSG could save a lot of money by promoting the academy graduate, who in turn will give Liverpool more options to utilize the double pivot formation considering he is more than capable of playing in the holding midfield role.
Harvey Elliott, of course, used Blackburn as a springboard a few seasons ago to make a similar step up into first-team football at Liverpool, and Morton looks well-placed to follow suit and emulate his predecessor’s actions.
