Thiago Alcantara Responds To Claims He 'Doesn't Play The Liverpool Way' And 'Slows The Game Down'

Thiago Alcantara has dismissed any talk of him having a negative impact on Liverpool's playing style this season.

Former Reds players John Barnes and Dietmar Hamann both said that the Spaniard has been slowing down Liverpool's free-flowing attack and hindering the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah.

"When he [Thiago] slowed the game down in tight areas, that is not [Sadio] Mane's game, that is not [Mo] Salah's game. So we're getting used to a new system, but at the moment it's not working," was Barnes' assessment after the 0-0 draw with United.

Image: PA

Prior to last night's impressive 3-1 win over Spurs, the champions went three games without scoring in the Premier League - their longest run since 2005.

But while the summer signing's inclusion in the side was pinpointed as a key factor, the former Bayern Munich midfielder gave an analytical response to dispel the myth.

"Liverpool's transition is so important," he told BT Sport .

"It's first touch, and follow the game.

"Transitioning means that with fast players you must give a good pass in the right moment, at a nice speed as well.

"It doesn't mean that you have to do a long ball, no, it means do a sharp pass in the right moment to the right players."

"Against deeper teams if you score the first goal then the game is more open and you have more time to transition.

"If you are 0-0 then we don't have time for that transition because they (opposition) don't come up (the pitch) so we can't make the counter pass and move forward again."

After helping Bayern win a historic treble last season, the former Barcelona man made the move to Anfield for a reported £25 million.

However, a nasty injury and a positive COVID-test meant he hasn't featured as prominently. His run in the side coincided with a series of poor results and he ended up receiving some unwarranted criticism for it.

"I know Thiago can do much better than tonight but it was just an important step for all of us," Jurgen Klopp said of last night's display from his No.6, as per the Liverpool Echo.

"The situation with Thiago was not easy. He came to Liverpool late then got ill, then was injured and was then playing immediately in a decisive position.

"So we thought that tonight, it might make sense to play it slightly higher on the pitch."

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Football, Jurgen Klopp, Bayern Munich, Liverpool News, Thiago Alcantara

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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