Liverpool star Fabinho has a ‘problem’ when he’s not surrounded by options in midfield because he’s ‘not like Thiago’.
That’s according to former Reds boss Rafael Benitez, who believes Fabinho has suffered more than most for Liverpool’s poor form this season.
The Brazilian has been a huge success since his move to Anfield from Monaco but his form has dipped considerably this term, as Jurgen Klopp’s men have faltered in the Premier League.
The German has switched formations this season, in a desperate attempt to revive his side’s form.
Klopp has moved away from his traditional 4-3-3 system to a 4-2-3-1 and has also played a diamond in midfield to stem the tide of bad results.
Fabinho has kept his place throughout that time but the tweaks have not helped his form, with the midfielder looking a shadow of his former self.
And Benitez believes Fabinho is suffering from a lack of ‘options’ in midfield because he doesn’t have the passing range of a player like Thiago.
‘Fabinho is a player who needs solutions around him,’ Benitez told The Times.
‘He is not like Thiago Alcântara who can pass to his left, right, in front or wherever because he can see all these things. But then, Thiago cannot challenge like Fabinho or provide the same balance.
‘In Fabinho’s case, the solutions are having players around him in the right positions so he can give them the ball. If this happens then he will make fewer mistakes and can continue protecting the centre backs. He needs a bit of belief at the moment, but he is still a great player.
‘When Klopp is changing the team, as he is now, he knows something is not right. He has tried to fix the problems by moving from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 and, recently, he has played a “diamond” with Roberto Firmino behind Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez.
‘At the moment, other teams are pushing and pressing Liverpool. When this happens, Fabinho has more problems if he does not have two or three options available.’
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