Liverpool head into the international break in fourth place in the Premier League table following a topsy-turvy 2-2 draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Reds had an opportunity to go two goals clear in the second half, but Ryan Gravenberch could only hit the bar with his first-time shot.
Former Seagull Alexis Mac Allister came in for some criticism over his culpability in handing a sloppy opening goal to the home side. The Argentinian has played the majority of his minutes so far in a deep-lying midfield position. Some pundits have questioned his overall suitability for the role as his best performances last season (and in Argentina’s victorious World Cup campaign) came further up the pitch.
Links to Fluminense’s André are yet to abate, with the Brazilian side reaching the final of the Copa Libertadores. Flu president Mario Bittencourt has done little to quell the rumours, mentioning the possibility that the two clubs may ‘talk in December’.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, we asked experienced LFC reporter Neil Jones for his thoughts on the possible addition of André.
Liverpool’s Number 6 Dilemma – How Do They Fix it? w/Neil Jones
Neil said:
“It would be five midfielders in the space of five months. It would be a huge influx, especially when you’ve still got other midfielders as well, they’re not your only five.
“I think [with] Gravenberch coming in, I’d suggest probably not.
“I think the fact that they bought Endo and Gravenberch late in the window suggests they got their house in order in terms of midfielders, but he’s definitely a player that they liked.
“It doesn’t feel like Liverpool are waiting for January to go and fix it… I don’t think they’re in that position at all. It’s not one of them where it’s like, ‘You’ve cocked up the summer window.’
“I don’t think they’re in terrible shape in terms of midfield options, just maybe finding the right balance or getting certain midfielders up to top speed and top form.
“Are Liverpool getting used to playing without that kind of fixed figurehead number six player? You’d say they were.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say that they’re muddling through with the way that they’re going at the moment. They’ve got good players on the pitch, every game that they’re playing.”
Where It All Began For Liverpool Youngster Ben Doak
Redmen Reacts
The $64,000 question is whether Jürgen Klopp’s idea of a fully functioning Liverpool midfield has evolved. His Champions League and Premier League winning side always looked at its best with Fabinho playing at his peak. Wataru Endo is yet to feature heavily, despite being a natural defensive midfielder and captaining an excellent Japanese side. It was only two months ago that the club failed in their pursuit of both Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia. Both of these players would be considered more of a traditional number six than Alexis Mac Allister. This could suggest that Klopp may be waiting for the perfect anchor in his midfield. Mac Allister is certainly more than a ‘stop-gap’ in the role but has walked a disciplinary tightrope in several games this season, picking up yellow cards which have limited his ability to put in challenges throughout the game.
With Thiago injury-prone and almost certain to leave at the end of the season, there could be a first-team space up for grabs in the medium to long term. Time will tell as to whether the club will stick with the players that have already joined, or go into the market one more time.
As for André – a player described to us as a ‘leader’ by his former youth manager Eduardo Oliveira – whilst his experience is currently limited to only his home nation, he certainly looks to be destined for a European giant.
