Liverpool midfielder struggling to fit with team
Georginio Wijnaldum is struggling to adjust to life with Liverpool
Contrary to popular belief, Jurgen Klopp has not transformed every midfielder at Anfield into a world-class superstar. While the likes of Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho are enjoying career seasons, new signing Georginio Wijnaldum is still struggling to find his place at Anfield.
The good news for Liverpool fans is that the former Newcastle star is taking his struggles in stride. He admits that it’s going to take time for him to succeed with his new club. Even better, he already feels comfortable at Anfield from an emotional and cultural perspective.
It’s purely a tactical problem for the Dutch star. In his previous stops, he admits that he was only concerned with going forward with the ball. He was generally his club’s most prolific attacking threat in the midfield. That allowed him to shirk his defensive responsibilities for the most part.
I don’t say that as a criticism of Wijnaldum, it’s just a fact. Things are different for him at Liverpool. He’s playing in a midfield three alongside other attack-minded players. He’s learning that sometimes, the right tactical choice for him is to remain behind while his two teammates charge forward in attack.
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You have to imagine that’s a huge mental adjustment for a player who is used to being the star of the show. He’s gone from being a big fish in a little pond, to a medium size fish in a large pond. It’s only natural that he’s going to need time to adjust.
In many ways, Wijnaldum’s transition to Liverpool is very similar to how players coming up from the Academy must feel. He’s gone from being his club’s best attacker, straight to being a piece of a larger machine. That sort of adjustment has to play on his level of confidence.
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The lesson here is twofold for Liverpool. First, they need to exercise patience with Wijnaldum. It may take him quite a bit of time to really get comfortable with how they want him to play. He has the talent, he just needs match time to adjust to his new role.
Secondly, they still need to find some additional options in the defensive midfield. Playing three midfielders from the quartet of Mane, Lallana, Coutinho and Wijnaldum isn’t going to provide the back four enough defensive cover against many opponents. Klopp can’t really expect Wijnaldum to ever flourish in a deep-lying role.
Don’t expect Georginio Wijnaldum to light the world on fire at Liverpool this season. It’s going to take him some serious time to adjust to his new club.
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