Naby Keita can help Jurgen Klopp unleash new Liverpool…

Naby Keita can help Jurgen Klopp unleash new Liverpool midfield three

The story of Liverpool’s season so far could perhaps best be described as Jurgen Klopp’s quest to establish a functioning midfield. It has been far from the only issue facing the team but it has certainly dominated discussions among pundits and supporters.

The Reds’ manager has already deployed eight different starting trios in the centre of his side in league and Europe, and that’s before we get to the various other formations which have been tried. Where Klopp’s Liverpool used to play an established 4-3-3 framework with a solid midfield, there are now many questions over who should feature and with what tactics.

And while a whole variety of options have been used, in one sense the Reds have barely scratched the surface of their possibilities. Arthur Melo has only played 13 minutes for the club thanks to injury but it has recently been claimed he could return next month. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s only start came against Derby County in the Carabao Cup, while Curtis Jones has been in the starting XI on just two occasions this season. And that’s before we get to Naby Keita.

While far from having been a disastrous signing, the Guinean is probably the closest Liverpool have come to having had a big money flop in the Klopp era. It feels like every time he returns from injury we read a ‘now it’s time to see the real Keita’ article (and I’ve written a few myself). An undoubtedly talented player, injury problems have ensured he has rarely shown his best form on a consistent basis since joining the Reds in 2018.

Even if he has a phenomenal second half of 2022/23, it is starting to feel unlikely that Keita’s Liverpool contract will be extended beyond it’s expiration at the end of this season. However, he will need to demonstrate that he will be a good signing for his next club and the Reds may be able to take advantage of his need to perform.

Keita’s most recent start occurred in the final league game of last season, a 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Klopp’s central trio for that match also featured Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson, with the same three players having started the FA Cup final against Chelsea the previous weekend.

With an eye towards how Liverpool can secure a top four spot this term while also competing in the Champions League, it’s more interesting to investigate how Keita and Thiago have fared when Fabinho has been at the base of the midfield, rather than the club captain. As with most combinations there is only a small sample to judge but their record is flawless.

The trio have started four games together, all within the space of a month towards the end of 2021/22. It’s likely random, but the two assists Keita has recorded in the last year occurred in those games.

Alcantara, Fabinho and Keita first started as a unit against Benfica. The former RB Leipzig man in the trio set up Luis Diaz for the final goal in a 3-1 victory. Eleven days later the threesome were at Wembley to take on Manchester City in an FA Cup semi-final. On that occasion it was Thiago who assisted the third goal (for Sadio Mane) and once again the Reds were victorious.

Just as they were for a Merseyside derby at Anfield, when they deployed the same midfield. While they didn’t shine throughout their final game together, a 3-2 away win against Villarreal, both Fabinho and Keita made goal contributions on the night.

It’s easy to see why at their best they work so well together. Fabinho covers the bulk of the defensive work, allowing Thiago to deploy his fabulous passing range while Keita can make driving runs into the final third. With the latter back from his latest injury, playing 29 minutes in the friendly loss to Lyon, and with a desire to impress potential suitors, Klopp’s midfield issues may have receded as he plots the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

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