Lloris Al Hafiz

🟥 Liverpool's Midfield: Expensive Contracts, Uncomfortable Decisions I have maintained since Andoni Iraola's appointment that Liverpool needed a more defensively accomplished midfielder, a box-to-box with defensive nous more so than a holding destroyer. Lamine Camara was my preferred signing last summer, and the passing months have only strengthened that conviction. I said before a ball was kicked that a double pivot of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai would struggle. Their individual qualities are considerable, but football has always demanded something more fundamental than assembling expensive talent. It demands balance, discipline and an understanding of the collective. Neither has consistently provided what Iraola requires. There is an uncomfortable irony in watching 19-year-old Trey Nyoni, earning a fraction of their salaries, emerge as arguably Liverpool's most indispensable midfield presence. His intelligence in possession, willingness to receive under pressure and instinct for controlling tempo have brought a composure that money has conspicuously failed to purchase. Alongside him, Alexis Mac Allister has rediscovered the authority many feared had deserted him. Florian Wirtz, meanwhile, increasingly looks the natural choice ahead of them. That, for me, is Liverpool's strongest midfield. The substantial contracts awarded to Gravenberch and Szoboszlai now present a difficult question. Where do they fit? Neither deserves to be casually discarded, but sentiment and salary cannot become substitutes for selection on merit. With Wataru Endo seemingly forgotten and James McConnell struggling for opportunities, the midfield picture remains troublingly confused. Iraola has inherited some fine footballers. He must now fashion a functioning midfield from them. And Liverpool's hierarchy must recognise that the next midfield signing requires considerably more thought about suitability than reputation. Because until Liverpool control the middle of the pitch, they will continue paying for it everywhere else.

🔴 Finding Iraola's Ideal Left-Back: What the Data Tells #LFC Liverpool have a left-back problem, but who could provide the solution? 📊 Using Scoutlabs data, I analyse three intriguing options: 🇪🇸 Alejandro Balde 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Neco Williams 🇨🇲 Mahamadou Nagida Who best fits Iraola's system? Read my latest analysis: itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/f… 🙏 If you enjoy my work, please consider subscribing to my Substack.

⚽ My Friday football column is out! 💰 Newcastle have spent £300m, so why does everything look like it's falling apart under Matthias Jaissle? 🔴 Manchester United are drowning in £779m of debt. The Glazers' legacy is genuinely staggering. 🏆 Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or, and why Alan Shearer might be sleeping a little easier. 👋 Cristiano Ronaldo finally calls time on his Portugal career. I've got a few thoughts on that! 🔮 Plus, my predictions for all 10 Premier League matches this weekend. A bit of nostalgia, plenty of opinion and the usual football madness. It's completely FREE to read, and I'd really appreciate a free subscription to support my writing. Every subscriber makes a difference. 🙏 Read my latest column and subscribe here 👇 itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/ne…