Ex-Liverpool forward Michael Owen recently came out and blasted Reds midfielder Fabinho, but old comments have resurfaced that prove he was singing the Brazilian's praises earlier this season.
Fabinho has struggled for form as of late, much like the rest of Jurgen Klopp's side who are in the midst of their worst season in recent memory. Liverpool currently sit as low as seventh in the Premier League table and have looked way off the pace for the majority of the campaign so far.
One of the main reasons behind their struggles has been their midfield, which has fallen drastically short of expectations. Though he has established himself as a hero among the Anfield faithful, Fabinho is included in that group of midfielders who have performed well below his usual standards this term.
That is at least according to Owen, who took aim at Fabinho and other Liverpool stars following their 0-0 draw away at Crystal Palace on Saturday night.
"Fabinho has been average this season. Really average. Harvey Elliott, when he came on at half-time, he give the ball away more than he kept it. Naby Keita is just not good enough for a midfielder, in my opinion, for Liverpool."
However, Owen hasn't always thought of Fabinho that way this season. Speaking in October, the former Reds ace waxed lyrical over the Brazil international as he claimed: "He is the one shining example of a player who has got everything. He’s the right age, he’s the right quality, and he’s always fit and healthy.
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"You look down the list of other players. Naby Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain, injury prone maybe, Milner and Henderson are getting on and then you have Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott who are younger players. He is the right one."
Having labelled Fabinho as average, Keita as not good enough, questioned Harvey Elliott's performances and recently claimed Jordan Henderson and James Milner are too old, it is clear Owen wants reinforcements in the middle of the park as soon as possible.
Klopp recently discussed Fabinho's string of underwhelming displays and admitted the decline in standard did not seem to be related to any kind of injury.
"Did Fabinho come back from an injury? No," the Liverpool boss conceded. "It just can happen, a drop of form. Nobody expected it and you look at it and think, ‘okay, that’s interesting to watch.’
"But everything needs time in a business where there is no time. That’s the problem."
Ultimately, Fabinho has been an ever-present in this Liverpool side ever since his arrival in 2018 and some fear that he is simply approaching the twilight of his Reds career.
