Worse Than Barcola? Liverpool Urged to Make Major Change to Szoboszlai’s Position Before It’s Too Late
Liverpool’s disappointing defeat to Fenerbahce in the Champions League has exposed another major concern within Andoni Iraola’s team, with one key player struggling badly in his current position.
The Reds suffered their second consecutive defeat in Istanbul following Sunday’s loss to Arsenal. Despite goals from Trey Nyoni and Alexander Isak, Liverpool were beaten 3-2 after Mason Greenwood, Archie Brown and Vedat Muriqi found the net for the Turkish side.
Iraola’s decision to rotate his squad, leaving out key players including Isak, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, ultimately proved costly as Liverpool struggled to deal with Fenerbahce’s intensity.
However, much of the attention has turned towards Dominik Szoboszlai, whose performances have raised serious questions about whether he should continue operating in the centre of Liverpool’s midfield.
Szoboszlai Struggling to Influence Liverpool’s Midfield
Deployed as Liverpool’s number ten against Fenerbahce, with Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister behind him, the Hungarian midfielder failed to make the expected impact.
His responsibility was to drive Liverpool forward, progress possession and create opportunities in attacking areas. Unfortunately, he struggled to deliver in those departments.
Despite completing 93 per cent of his passes, Szoboszlai managed only five line-breaking passes and created two chances throughout his 90-minute appearance. He also offered very little attacking threat, attempting just two long-range efforts.
His difficulties were equally noticeable against Arsenal.
Introduced in the 59th minute, Szoboszlai struggled to maintain Liverpool’s control of the game. The Reds’ possession dropped from 74 per cent before his introduction to 50.9 per cent afterwards.
He also recorded just five line-breaking passes, significantly fewer than Nyoni’s 19.
These performances suggest that Liverpool are struggling to get the best out of one of their most important midfielders in his current role.
Liverpool Could Find the Solution at Right-Back
There is a potential solution that Iraola should seriously consider before the situation becomes worse.
During Arne Slot’s time at Liverpool, Szoboszlai was occasionally used as an emergency right-back when the club faced problems in that position.
Although it was initially viewed as a temporary adjustment, the experiment revealed an interesting possibility.
Szoboszlai looked comfortable in the role, regularly moving into midfield to receive possession while retaining the freedom to influence Liverpool’s attacking play.
Playing at right-back could also reduce the pressure on him to provide defensive protection in central midfield, where his positioning has sometimes exposed the team.
His crossing ability is another major advantage. From the right flank, he can deliver dangerous balls into the penalty area, using a skill set that makes him particularly effective in attacking situations.
Ronald Araujo could remain Liverpool’s preferred option in more demanding fixtures, but Szoboszlai could offer a different attacking dimension against opponents Liverpool need to dominate.
Iraola Must Find a Solution
While much of the discussion surrounding Liverpool has focused on Bradley Barcola’s inconsistent performances, Szoboszlai’s struggles in his current midfield position deserve equal attention.
The Hungarian remains a talented player, but continuing to deploy him in a role that does not maximise his strengths could become a costly mistake.
Iraola may need to rethink his tactical approach and consider making Szoboszlai’s move to right-back a permanent solution before Liverpool’s midfield problems become even more serious.
