Exit Shaqiri?

[The_weatherman]

Apparently Shaq has been training for a switch into central midfield, could actually make sense to turn him into a Fekir type of player.

[RedReet]

Apparently Shaq has been training for a switch into central midfield, could actually make sense to turn him into a Fekir type of player.

Not totally new to him...

In this year’s UEFA Nations League, Shaqiri’s Switzerland made it to the semi-finals where they were beaten 3-1 by eventual winners Portugal. In six fixtures, he scored one goal and registered three assists, two of which came in a 5-2 win over Belgium. Interestingly, Shaqiri was fielded in the middle of an attacking midfield trio in a 4-2-3-1 in all but two games in this year’s Nations League, deployed as second striker in the other two.

Against Belgium in November 2018, Shaqiri spearheaded Switzerland who lined up in a 4-4-1-1 shape. Shadowing out-and-out striker Haris Seferović, Shaqiri’s technical ability and vision allowed him to set up two thirds of the Benfica forward’s hat-trick as Switzerland completed a remarkable turnaround from being 2-0 down after 17 minutes.

Having scored the penalty, Ricardo Rodríguez fired a ball into the box for the unselfish Shaqiri, who laid on a cushioned header across goal for Seferović to equalise with ease. By the half-time whistle, Switzerland had hauled the tie up to 3-2 following Seferović’s thumping second. Shaqiri’s whipped in cross was converted for a fourth, but his magic moment came in Switzerland’s fifth of the night. An insouciant back-heeled pass from Shaqiri out wide found Kevin Mbabu, whose cross was turned in as Seferović completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute.

As the Belgium game evidently showed, Shaqiri can flourish in an advanced central position. In the Swiss system, he is usually deployed as an attacking midfielder often roaming in advanced positions orbiting a lone striker. Either as an auxiliary centre-forward, or plotting the blueprint in midfield, Shaqiri’s craft is goals: if he doesn’t score them, he will make them.

Far from just being a winger, Shaqiri can be better understood as a kind of hinge; that is, a mechanism that allows play to unlatch, opening games as a mobile pivot. This year’s “Swiss role” shows his positional pliability, in what could be the icing on the cake for Klopp’s tactical flexibility.

Intriguingly, Shaqiri’s club career has seen him make 40 appearances in a central, attacking midfield role where he has scored eight goals and registered 11 assists. Most notably, on 15 occasions he turned out for Stoke City in the hole, scoring three and producing four assists. At Bayern Munich, 14 appearances yielded seven total goal contributions.

At Liverpool last season, Shaqiri came on as a late throw of the midfield dice in the Reds' loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital. In the Premier League, the two occasions he started games as an attacking midfielder were his two quasi-assists in the 3-0 win over Southampton, and 90 minutes against Huddersfield, where his assist for Salah proved to be the decisive goal of the game.

Late October at the John Smith’s Stadium represented Shaqiri’s second start of the 2018/19 season. It catalysed his most prolific period for the Reds – nine Premier League appearances on the right wing, bearing one assist and all six of his goals, which included the brace against Manchester United. In the period stretching from October to December, Shaqiri’s form for Liverpool was mirrored in his success with Switzerland. But it was not to last.

Innately talented, the key drives for Shaqiri’s increasingly fleeting opportunities were the result of tactical and systemic alterations, rather than his attitude or relationship with Klopp. His full debut against Southampton last September showed the palpable benefits of Shaqiri’s inclusion in a 4-2-3-1 shape.

Operating centrally behind Salah at the spearhead, flanked by Firmino and Mané, Shaqiri conjured two of the goals in a first-half that saw the Reds lead 3-0 at the break. But, somewhat unfortunately, Klopp’s Shaqiri-shaped adaptation eventually necessitated his substitution before the next 45 minutes got underway. The German felt his side would be too vulnerable as the Saints chased the game, switching back to a 4-3-3 with James Milner his replacement for the second act.

The Swiss’ contribution going forward was demonstrable, but it seemed doubts over his ability to apply himself off the ball and to settle into appropriate positional patterns forced Klopp’s hand. Away from the pitch, the two would have reviewed that aspect of his game and worked on the manager’s unrequited, gegenpressing mandate. Klopp explained: “The whole team was not used to what we did today. As a new player, usually you struggle most but he didn’t – he tried everything. The only problem was defensively. Offensively, it was a good idea but, how I said, we have to work on that more often. But he was good and I liked it.”

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/switzerland-xhaka-xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-16877643

[Yozza]

Whats happened to him?

Is he injured still?!

[danperkins]

Still injured but don't think Klopp fancies him even when he's not injured. Does seems like Klopp doesn't trust him tactically. Pity because he has ability.

[Mark79]

[ame]https://twitter.com/GrizzKhan/status/1196844196973498370[/ame]

Look who's back, with a new hairline!

[wiw]

Has he had time off to get a hair transplant?

[Fivex]

To be hair they look like expensive implants toupée for

[Roboklopp]

To be hair they look like expensive implants toupée for

You’ve used all the puns you bellend, left me with no wiggle room.

[Fivex]

Comb again? There’s a hat follicool puns to wax lyrical over.

[Norbs]

Looks like a carefully done comb forward, like David off of Corrie

[DeeTheDog]

Maybe Klopp gave him the number to his hair surgeon.

[Norbs]

https://twitter.com/GrizzKhan/status...44196973498370

Look who's back, with a new hairline!

Looks like they missed a bit

[Roboklopp]

Comb again? There’s a hat follicool puns to wax lyrical over.

Are you brushing me off?

[Norbs]

You two are a pair of nits

[gratziani]

Pesci in Casino look