Liverpool was competing in the Europa League almost 13 years ago, in a difficult home match against Italian team Napoli. The Reds were 1-0 down after 45 minutes, and with Roy Hodgson under pressure to deliver results at Anfield, he opted to bring in the cavalry during the half-time break.
The ex-Liverpool manager, who had only been in charge for six months, brought in captain Steven Gerrard to change the course of the game, and he succeeded. The Scouse midfielder was introduced in place of Milan Jovanovi, and he practically single-handedly changed the game.
Gerrard scored three goals against the Naples side, including a hat-trick in the second half, to secure an amazing 3-1 win for Hodgson, who was eager for positive results. “Stevie is just an unbelievable talent, we all know that,” former defender and teammate Jamie Carragher stated following the game. “We’ve seen him do things like this time and time again throughout his career.” When he came on in the second half, you could see the crowd react to him, and he elevated everyone’s performance.”
Gerrard’s performance in question accurately summed him up as a player. He was as dynamic as they come, proving to be a natural when it came to leading by example and generally acting like a general in the middle of the park for his boss, with Gérard Houllier, Rafael Bentez, and Brendan Rodgers all relying on his heroic powers during their respective tenures on Merseyside.
Jürgen Klopp, on the other hand, has mostly worked without a comparable midfielder during his stint at Liverpool. Except for the Europa League, the German coach has delivered every available piece of trophy to Anfield, but he has done so without the assistance of an all-action midfielder who is a level above his teammates.
Klopp’s midfield has been effective and self-sacrificing for the most part. Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, and Fabinho epitomize the trend, with all of those players flying under the spotlight in comparison to Gerrard, creating a platform for their more attack-minded teammates to win games.
Klopp’s work has never been hampered by the absence of a Gerrard-like presence, but he now appears to be enjoying the same luxury that his predecessors previously did.
Dominik Szoboszlai was signed by Liverpool from RB Leipzig this summer. The captain of Hungary arrived with a hefty price tag, but despite only being in the building for a few weeks, he is already justifying his transfer fee in the eyes of supporters.
Szoboszlai is still in its early stages, but he already appears to be a great gem. He seemed to have it all, from physicality to technique to industry to inventiveness to everything in between. Despite being only 22 years old, he appears to be one of the top midfielders in the Premier League after only a few months in England.
Above all, Klopp is now reaping the benefits of having a game-changing midfielder in his squad. On Wednesday night, his team was tying 1-1 in the Carabao Cup against Leicester City when he decided to boost the ante by bringing Szoboszlai off the bench.
After attempting to rest his new number eight, he decided to use him to change the game for Liverpool, much as Gerrard did against Napoli over a decade ago. Szoboszlai had just been on the field for five minutes when he scored a piledriving attempt from outside the penalty area that found the top corner of the net.
The Reds went on to win 3-1 against the Foxes, with Klopp’s new-found general effectively deciding the outcome. In fact, the 56-year-old accomplished the same thing against LASK in the Europa League last week. With half an hour remaining and the score tied 1-1 versus Austria, Klopp substituted Szoboszlai.
Liverpool took the lead two minutes later and added another 25 minutes later. Szoboszlai is a certain starter for Klopp in the Premier League, but even when given a rest, he can still serve as a get-out-of-jail-free card when his teammates require him.
It’s far too early in the season to draw conclusive conclusions, but there’s a reason Liverpool’s new talisman is being compared to Gerrard so early in his Anfield career. There is no greater compliment a footballer can receive on Merseyside, and no one can argue that he does not deserve it.
