Dominik Szoboszlai - Welcome to Liverpool

[Jack the Sipper]

7 hours ago, halewood pete said:

 

 

Shirt over a jumper?

 

Fucking loser.

[Jennings]

I think the most important thing from this signing, is that someone gives @Babb'sBurstNad a pop at his best gag!

 

*clears throat*

What country is this lad from? Hungary?

[halewood pete]

4 hours ago, Josef Svejk said:

 

Her name's Fanni. 

Yes,I meant to include that !

[Kevin D]

De Bruyne is quality, but he’s no this Hungarian lad.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

1 hour ago, Jennings said:

I think the most important thing from this signing, is that someone gives @Babb'sBurstNad a pop at his best gag!

 

*clears throat*

What country is this lad from? Hungary?

 

No, I've just eaten.

 

[Jurgen Knows]

Best signing we made since Alexis Mac Allister. 

[Scott_M]

Anybody got the full article please?

 

 

[The Midnight Rambler]

4 hours ago, The Midnight Rambler said:

A shit Steven Gerrard, sound.

 

 

[TD_LFC]

46 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Anybody got the full article please?

 

If you paste the URL into archive.today (link below) it'll give you access to the full article.

 

You can use it for the Athletic as well although it's easier to just disable java script in your browser for that site and it removes the pay wall.

 

https://archive.ph/

 

Here's the article.

 

Quote

Search YouTube and there are all manner of videos which neatly package up the best bits of Dominik Szoboszlai. Spectacular goals and eye-catching assists seamlessly glued together to produce the effect that he is the only thing that matters in just a matter of minutes.

Those montages are de rigueur these days. There was one for Naby Keïta back in 2018-19, which whetted the appetite when he moved to Liverpool for £52.7 million. One, too, for Timo Werner which preceded his arrival at Chelsea for £45 million and one for Christopher Nkunku, who is making the move to Stamford Bridge for £52 million this summer.

They were RB Leipzig players also, just like Jean-Kévin Augustin [£15.5m], Ibrahima Konaté [£36m], Hwang Hee-chan [£14m] and Tyler Adams [£20m] who have also all pitched up in the Premier League in recent seasons hoping to fly.

Konaté has the potential to be a superstar, but Keïta’s recent departure from Anfield on a free transfer spoke volumes for his impact. Ditto many of those others, leaving Szoboszlai having to buck the trend if he is to ultimately deliver value on the decision to trigger his £60 million release clause.

And therein lies the rub for Liverpool. In the last 18-months alone, Jürgen Klopp has spent around £250 million on initial fees [recouping about £62 million] so the cry of being unable to compete rings a little hollow. The focus has to be on extracting more from Darwin Núñez [£65m], Cody Gakpo [£37m] and Luis Díaz [£37m] before we get to new boys Alexis Mac Allister [£35m] and now Szoboszlai. The other two signings over that period, Fábio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay, will continue their development on loan at Leipzig and Preston North End respectively.

Liverpool’s priority in the window was to recruit two No 8s, who are multi-functional, and they have achieved that before the first lactate test of pre-season training. Yet there is so much work to be done in bringing everyone up to speed that should Klopp do so by the opening fixture against Chelsea it will represent a coaching masterclass.

It will be intriguing to see what comes next.

Klopp has said he would ideally like a defender, probably a young centre back for the future which means getting the right player is as important as when he arrives.

Of the plethora of midfield names that continue to be linked, Southampton’s Roméo Lavia appears the most natural No 6 for there is surely no desperation for another advanced player in the engine room. Jordan Henderson will be steeling himself for the battle ahead and Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcântara are also in situ.

That is if Liverpool even need a holding midfielder with Stefan Bajcetic and Fabinho there [Thiago and Henderson can play the position] and the experiment of using Trent Alexander-Arnold in a double-pivot at the end of last season.
More than enough came from Alexander-Arnold’s hybrid role to suggest that Klopp will persevere with it, in what would amount to a further move away from his original 4-3-3 system that brought so much success.

It could be Liverpool will look more like 3-2-2-3 in possession and that, long-term, highly-technical No 8s will replace the energy and reliability associated with past Klopp sides.

Leipzig played with two holding midfielders, usually Konrad Laimer and Amadou Haidara, with Szoboszlai largely operating on the right of midfield, with an article by Opta Analyst showing that 77 percent of the 22-year-old’s playing time last season came in that role.

He would occasionally swap flanks and also drift inside with a high proportion of his touches [seven percent] in an attacking midfield role just outside the box in the centre.

While Szoboszlai could act as Mohamed Salah’s back-up from time to time [the Egyptian will be missing for a spell next January due to the African Cup of Nations], he is more likely to be deeper when he comes to terms with Premier League football.

The versatility of the Hungary international adds to his value as does his availability which, given the injuries Liverpool have endured in midfield, is another tick alongside his credentials.

Szoboszlai missed Leipzig’s Champions League games against Liverpool in 2020-21 with a groin problem that sidelined him for five months, but in the two seasons since he has missed just one match through injury. Of the 9,180 minutes he could have played, he was on the pitch for 64 percent of them [5,832].

He seems well-equipped to fit in with Klopp’s desire to press given his average sprints per 90 of 31.7 was the 11th highest of the 106 outfield players to play at least 2,000 Bundesliga minutes last season, while his average distance covered per game [10.8km] was also in the top half of that group.

If Szoboszlai can translate his talent to a better stage and adjust to any change in his positional deployment, then his creativity can be useful.

He was ranked fourth overall in the German top flight last season for total involvements in open-play shot-ending sequences behind Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham.

While only Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané [37] had more shots from outside the penalty area than Szoboszlai [36] in the Bundesliga.

Liverpool have lacked threat from midfield and Szoboszlai has the potential to address that along with Mac Allister, who was in the top nine percent of players for expected goals per 90 minutes among Premier League midfielders last season.

The decision by Liverpool to end their interest in Bellingham back in March was taken after it was decided spending a huge chunk of the summer budget on one player would be folly given the deficiencies that had become apparent.
For around the same price Real Madrid paid Borussia Dortmund for Bellingham, an initial £88 million [rising to £115 million], they have now brought in Szoboszlai and Mac Allister.

All that is left for them is to prove the showreel is in need of constant updating.

 

[littletedwest]

Official now 

[Red74]

 

[Vincent Vega]

 

[Vincent Vega]

 

[Scott_M]

Official. 
 

 

[JohnnyH]

Just now, Vincent Vega said:

 

I thought they were tattoos on his legs. Fuck me he’s hairy. 

[Scott_M]

Just watching his interview. All in mostly perfect in English. 

[TD_LFC]

The fact he's 8 and Mac Allister is 10 and not the other way around is disappointing.

[suzy]

Wahoo! This means a new Podcast!

[sir roger]

3 minutes ago, suzy said:

Wahoo! This means a new Podcast!

 

You need to get out more, Suzy. 

[Raymond Duck]

On 01/07/2023 at 10:54, Scott_M said:

Fabinho and Thiago on the bench. No place for Hendo. 
 

 

As you can see, I’m only interested in being Liverpool! I previously had Mascherano, Alonso, Mane, Gerrard & Suarez. 
 

Can’t sign Lavia, his best card is only line 62!

Position change Gakpo and Salah to Centre Forwards and choose a formation with two CF’s and Striker, will improve your chemistry dramatically. 

[Scott_M]

15 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

The fact he's 8 and Mac Allister is 10 and not the other way around is disappointing.

 

Taking 8 is a ballsy move, how could he improve on Keita?

[Lee909]

[Scott_M]

12 minutes ago, Raymond Duck said:

Position change Gakpo and Salah to Centre Forwards and choose a formation with two CF’s and Striker, will improve your chemistry dramatically. 

Cheers! 

[Creator Supreme]

Right, now what excuse will the home office use to deny him a work permit?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am what I am, don't try and change me fuckers!

[Lee909]