2018/19 Season Report Card - Xherdan Shaqiri

I love this little guy. How can you not love him? Look at his little smiling face. If I was one of his team-mates I’d spent all day just ruffling his hair and high fiving him. He’d probably end up hating me or reporting me for harassment.

When I think of Shaq, the first thing that comes into my head is this clip of him on his first day at Melwood giving it the 'finger gun' when he saw the fitness guy he worked with at Bayern. That’s Shaq right there, a gif makers wet dream. 

He’s the kind of player that fans are drawn to. If he stays here another year (or hopefully more) he’ll be even more of a cult hero than he already is. In a squad full of so much talent he’s never going to be one of the main men even though he’s a top player in his own right. He’s a modern day Ronny Rosenthal type. Someone who made a big impact in limited playing time and who will always be remembered fondly and with a nostalgic smile.

I wish he’d played more this season but I trust Klopp’s judgement implicitly (let’s face it, how can you not?) and if he’s not picking him much then there’s a reason for that. It’s probably due to his off the ball work more than anything. It’s not that he’s lazy or unwilling to work, I just don’t think it’s something he’s particularly good at as it doesn’t come naturally to him.

Some players can just do it instinctively, but if you’ve got to think about where you need to run and when you need to close down, that split second can make all the difference. 

Initially I hoped Shaq might be able to fill the role Coutinho vacated. Sometimes in the front three, sometimes in a midfield trio. In theory it seemed like it could work, but Klopp never played him in midfield and usually when he picked him he changed the system to 4-2-3-1.

It has to be down to a lack of trust in him defensively, as nothing else makes sense. Even taking that into account I still thought he could have been used more, because he is a difference maker. His goals and assists record is really good based on minutes played, and he’s one of those players who can lift the crowd as soon as he steps onto the field.

He made an instant impact with a spectacular overhead kick goal against the Mancs in a pre-season game in the States, and he looked sharp from day one. A free-kick that hit the underside of the bar against Southampton (Mo followed in and buried it) also stands out as an early memory.

I also remember Klopp coming onto the field at full time and having a right go at him over something. Poor little Shaq looked distraught, like a kid being blocked by his Dad. He was just unfortunate there, he was the first player Klopp ran into so bore the brunt of his ire over a short free-kick routine in stoppage time when Klopp wanted it put into the box. It wasn’t even Shaq’s fault, but he was nearest so he took the flak. 

His little face though, it was heartbreaking. The best bit was when he mistook Klopp’s gesturing as an offer of a handshake and he just grabbed Klopp’s hand. It kills me every time I watch this, it’s fucking hilarious.

Cracking the starting line up was never really likely given the players he was competing against, and I also thought there might be an element of him needing to wait a few months until he learned all the intricacies of the pressing game.

It didn’t really turn out like that. He probably played more early in the season than he did in the run in. That’s a little worrying in one sense, as you’d think that once he picked up all the nuances of the system he’d feature more, in the way Ox did the year before.

Instead, he found himself struggling to get any minutes for about three months. Klopp actually apologised for this towards the end of the season, but when you see the results we had there’s not really anything to apologise for. That being said, maybe Shaq might have been able to make a difference in some of those draws we had?

When he did play, he was effective. He ended the season with six goals from eleven starts. Ok, he had a lot of sub appearances too, but that’s still a good level of production. He had a few assists too, some of them vital ones. It was his cross from which Origi headed the winner at Newcastle, and it was another pinpoint Shaq delivery that allowed Gini to head in the third against Barca a few days later.

He’s just a really good little footballer. He can score and he can create, and when he’s on the pitch he makes things happen. He also has the ability to immediately change the pace of a game when he comes off the bench. He can lift a crowd, which in turn lifts the team. There were a few occasions early in the season when he came on as a sub and with his very first involvement he immediately had the crowd go up a notch or two.

Some players can do that, most can’t. It’s not always even about doing something impactful. It’s just the vibe he gives off. He’s busy, he looks like he wants to get on the ball and do something positive, and that has an effect on the crowd.

This was never more evident than when he came off the bench to score twice against United at Anfield. They were really beginning to frustrate us but Shaqiri’s positivity turned the game. The tunnel footage they show on LFC TV after home games captured Van Dijk walking off the pitch and shouting “BIG SHAQ IN THE HOUSE!!!!”. I love that.

I also love that Shaqiri never complained when he wasn’t getting a look in. Just like Origi, he kept his head down and waited for his chance to come again, and when it did he made sure he contributed to the cause. 

In short, he's boss and I love him. He's my Dad's favourite player. My Dad loved Ronny Rosenthal too, so that's something else they have in common.

Rating 7/10. 

He was a steal for the price we paid and he’s done exactly what we needed him to do.

Best Moment:

Scoring twice in front of the Kop against United, and in doing so earning the approval of Big Virg..

Worst Moment:

The first half against Barca wasn’t great, he kept giving the ball away. He was much better in the second half though. Being shouted at by his Dad, I mean manager, was the worst though. Poor little guy.

The Future?

Tough one this. I had suspected his stay here might be coming to an end but he insists he’s staying and I hope that’s the case. Regardless of what happens this summer he’ll always have a place in our hearts.