Liverpool have made a fantastic start to their Premier League campaign and are currently occupying the second spot in the Premier League standings, just two points shy of Manchester City, who are sitting pretty at the top of the table. Both clubs along with Chelsea are still unbeaten in the league which has seen the media dub them as the real contenders for the English top-flight title.
However, with the Citizens firing on all cylinders, the bar has been raised even higher with a lot of pundits believing that Pep Guardiola’s men might have too much in their locker even for a promising side like Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. One of the club’s major concerns in recent weeks has been the lack of creativity in midfield with the likes of Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson spending some time on the sidelines which has left a void in Klopp’s midfield.
Xherdan Shaqiri: A Creative Force In The Reds Midfield
The Reds are looking a bit rusty as far as goal-scoring is concerned, but they still hold the joint meanest defence in the league along with Man City. Klopp has often used Xherdan Shaqiri in a free-roaming attacking midfield role so that he could provide some ammunition for the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to feed on!
Shaqiri has flourished while acting as the creative force for the Merseyside giants in recent weeks which could mean that he might get more first-team chances as long as he can continue scoring goals on the pitch. The Swiss international has scored twice in his last three matches with two of his appearances coming from the bench.
Why Klopp Should Promote Shaqiri Into A Starter?
It’s high time that Klopp gave him a run of games as a starter especially with so many midfielders currently missing because of injury. The former Stoke City star has already proven his worth at the highest level and can chip in with both goals and assists from midfield if he gets a shot to feature regularly under the German manager at Anfield.
The FC Basel youth product has featured in 11 matches for Liverpool this term, scoring two goals while creating three assists in all competitions. That’s quite a healthy return considering how most of his appearances have come from the bench. Thus, Klopp should consider promoting him into a starter even though he can be a defensive liability at times.
