Jurgen Klopp has suggested at his press conference, which was broadcast on Liverpool’s official Youtube channel, that Xherdan Shaqiri and Thiago Alcantara should get even better in the coming weeks.
Shaqiri and Thiago both started for Liverpool against Manchester United at the weekend.
Shaqiri’s start, in particular, was a surprise – as the Swiss international has barely featured this season.
But Klopp thinks that the pair will both benefit from the game time, and says the best is yet to come from them both.
“I think we had two players on the pitch who didn’t play a lot of games in recent weeks, with Thiago and Shaqiri,” he said.
“They both did really well. But, of course, there’s much more to come.
“So because rhythm, we cannot just ask for it, you have to gain rhythm by games and that’s the problem – but they did really well and helped us a lot.”
In truth Klopp’s words may have been slightly generous on Shaqiri, who struggled to make much of an impact last Sunday.
The former Stoke man was solid, but his performance hardly demanded that he be kept in the team.
Thiago, though, should play a vital role for Liverpool between now and the end of the campaign.
The experienced Spaniard has not yet hit top form since moving to Anfield, but he remains a huge talent, and his class has been clear for all to see when he has been available.
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