Thiago Alcantara ‘more suited to Manchester United’ than Liverpool, claims Paul Scholes
The Spain international has struggled to produce his best form in an injury-hit debut campaign with the Reds
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Paul Scholes believes Thiago Alcantara is “more suited to Manchester United” and is not suited to Liverpool because he is not a “Jurgen Klopp-type player”.
The 29-year-old is yet to show the form he displayed regularly at Bayern Munich since joining the Reds for £25m last summer.
A knee injury suffered in the Merseyside derby against Everton hurt his progress under Klopp with the champions enduring a difficult season overall with injuries.
Thiago has three years remaining on his contract and Klopp will still be hopeful of extracting the kind of form that made him one of the finest players in Europe last season en route to Champions League glory before the end of the current campaign.
But Scholes believes the fit is not ideal at Anfield and that he would have suited Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s style better, where he would have had more opportunity to control games as part of a two-man central midfield.
READ MORE: Ill-disciplined Thiago Alcantara is an unfortunate emblem of Liverpool’s decline
“The way Liverpool play with the three in midfield, I don’t think he has great legs about him, so that central role would suit him down to the ground,” Scholes told Premier League Productions.
“Once you are in a wider position in the three, it’s very difficult to get around the pitch because he’s not that type of player.
“He just needs to be sat in the middle. Controlling things, bringing players into play and that’s what he’s good at – I just wonder if this way of playing that Liverpool play is suited to his style of football.
Ian St John death: Jimmy Greaves leads tributes to ‘lovely man’ and Liverpool legend
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp eyes Champions League qualification after crucial win against Sheffield United
Liverpool ‘zombies’ walking through ‘depressing’ season, says Gary Neville
Manchester United need top class striker to win title, says Jamie Carragher
Manchester United have ‘far better chance’ of winning the title than under Jose Mourinho
“He doesn’t seem a Jurgen Klopp type player, does he? You think of the midfield players he has got and the forward players. Everything is 100 miles per hour.
“I thought he would have been more suited to a Manchester United team. In a two in midfield with a holding player, really good strong defensive player, where he can sit and control games.
“Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, I don’t see them controlling games. I see them going for the throat in teams. He hasn’t got that energy to really overpower midfield players.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments