Shaqiri’s good form for Liverpool this season, although in a somewhat restricted role, has seen him praised by both fans and pundits alike with Arsenal legend Paul Merson naming him as his “signing of the season” on Sky Sports. The main issue Liverpool fans had with Shaqiri’s arrival was whether or not he would be able to fit into Klopp’s high energy system and be able to maintain a high level of fitness needed to play for the German. Merson, along with almost all Liverpool fans, believes that Shaqiri has stepped up to the plate and stated that he “didn’t immediately think he would fit in with their system because his work-rate has been in question in the past, but he’s stepped up to it.” This praise, from arguably the ficklest and most panned pundit on television, was welcomed by fans who agree that the manner in which Shaqiri has slotted into the side has given Klopp a real selection headache. This season Shaqiri has managed to create a whopping 2.35 chances per 90 minutes for Liverpool in the league, only 0.28 down from last season’s average – not bad considering he is still adapting to a new system that is both more physically demanding and requires him to play more centrally. To put that into perspective, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, arguably the most Shaqiri-esque player for Liverpool last season, only managed to create 2.18 chances per 90 – though Oxlade-Chamberlain did find himself playing deeper more regularly.
Shaqiri seems to revel under pressure and he seems to be at his best for Liverpool when we are desperate for somebody to inject some flair and creativity into our attack. Shaqiri offers more than just creativity though with 10 of his 15 Stoke City goals coming from outside of the box, something Liverpool seem to have lacked during the last couple of years. A good friend of mine who also happens to be a huge Stoke City fan (@lewisgibson1996) had this to say: “Following the departure of Arnautovic and luxury flair players being completely abolished from the first team (Bojan & Gianelli Imbula), Shaqiri was the main man and I think this suited him. In a massively struggling team he still managed to pick up eight goals and seven assists which, as a winger in a team completely incapable of scoring goals, was an impressive feat – especially considering we only managed 35 goals all season.” Klopp has managed to create a spectacular starting 11 but far too often during the German’s reign we have found ourselves frustrated by the lack of quality to bring on from the bench – the final in Kiev being a prime example – but in Shaqiri we have that player to bring on and make the difference. It seems like Klopp has developed a squad capable of challenging over the long course of the season and Shaqiri might just be the last piece of the puzzle. It won’t be easy for Klopp to accommodate Shaqiri in this highflying Liverpool side – Liverpool currently have arguably the best attacking unit in Premier League history but even the best players need a rest and I can’t think of a better player we could have got than Shaqiri. The job of a manager is not easy but top managers always find a way to use their best players to the best of their ability and Klopp seems to be slowly finding a way to get the best out of his exciting attackers. What have you made of Shaqiri’s role and performances so far this season? Let us know in the comments below! Article by James McHale @jamesmchale2607 
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