Naby Keita

[Mystic]

Not to give him a bluebell esc kiss of death, but he's finally starting to show it isn't he? It's been an impressive month for him, he's started games back to back on merit, he's scoring goals, providing some beautiful through balls, link up play, running in behind, and generally starting to show how much of a baller he is as he glides past players in midfield (see Maddison and Tielemans last night).

Until Fabinho is back, he's rightfully first choice in midfield alongside Hendo and Gini, but he's still got more to do. I still find he's a little clumsy and passive on the ball, he needs to be more authorative in his play, and I'd also like to see him getting more assists alongside his pleasing goal output, mainly so I can start calling him Naby Creator.

Anyway, great month for those of us in camp Naby, long may his improvement continue.

 

[Modo]

I think he's been immense. Came in and looked every bit the 50 mill player we expected to get.
Fabs isn't going to walk right into the team again, same goes for Matip. They're going to have to prove themselves.

 

[Peatcheo]

Made up for him, he has looked great lately.

Some of his through balls are delicious, if it wasn't for poor finishing from our forwards he'd have a few more assists.

 

[Brizzle]

I think he's been immense. Came in and looked every bit the 50 mill player we expected to get.
Fabs isn't going to walk right into the team again, same goes for Matip. They're going to have to prove themselves.

fab will walk into the team

 

[Modo]

fab will walk into the team

you think so? after being out for a month? Henderson has played really well in DM.

 

[HC]

Yep he's been great , hopefully he carries this along with fitness all the way through to the end of the season

Starts in our strongest eleven as things stand

 

[keniget]

fab will walk into the team

Yup

 

[Stevesquash]

On one hand, fab has been fab and has been our best DM. on the other, we're keeping clean sheets which we didn't without him, and unquestionably have hit our best form without him. So what's the logic in him walking straight back in?

 

[Frogfish]

I think he's been immense. Came in and looked every bit the 50 mill player we expected to get.
Fabs isn't going to walk right into the team again, same goes for Matip. They're going to have to prove themselves.

Agree on Matip but Fabs will be given one bench game where he's subbed-on and then he'll start most matches thereafter. Our defence looks much more organised with him in the team. I would love to see Fabs + Hendo or Gini + Keita though. Still it's not easy to get into that midfield any more and that is exactly where we want to be all over the pitch.

 

[mwake]

I love Naby, Im his biggest supporter but even I have to admit that when Fabinho comes back Naby is back on the to roataion mode. What NAby has to do now is play well enoigh to convince Klopp that Playing Naby, Fabinho and Henderson/Gini is a worthwhile starting setup. Klopp usually goes for Gini, Hendo and Fabinho but now is the time for Naby to give Klopp a selection headache. Id love to see Keita more often with fabinho as Keita would be free to do what he does best with Fabinho/Hendo/Gini taking care of the ugly stuff

 

[Modo]

Agree on Matip but Fabs will be given one bench game where he's subbed-on and then he'll start most matches thereafter. Our defence looks much more organised with him in the team. I would love to see Fabs + Hendo or Gini + Keita though. Still it's not easy to get into that midfield any more and that is exactly where we want to be all over the pitch.

Don't get me wrong I love Fabs and I want him to start instantly when he returns. He's a better DM than Henderson but our midfield is doing great as is, would seem a bit unfair. It will definitely give Klopp a headache.

 

[Rosco]

I've always thought he was someone who needed to play deeper and really struggled when he was ahead of the ball.

So that he's playing his best football in Fabinho's absence isn't a major surprise.

I'm not convinced he won't return to irrelevance once Fabinho returns

 

[FoxForceFive]

Keita won't start every game even at his best when fab is fit.

Horses for courses. Some games you'll want loads more defensive work rate & some games you'll want more penetration from the middle of the park.

Against city for example, you wouldn't want to play Keita for more than half hour or so, cos we'd lose a lot of the midfield space & his running at players would be less effective (if he could start banging in some of the long range efforts we know he can that would offset some of that negative though).

The fact he's looking better is boss, but imo he's only half as good as he could be, & is still adapting to playing the way he needs to for us.

 

[mark1975]

I've always thought he was someone who needed to play deeper and really struggled when he was ahead of the ball.

So that he's playing his best football in Fabinho's absence isn't a major surprise.

I'm not convinced he won't return to irrelevance once Fabinho returns

That's of the assumption that he won't continue to play that slightly deeper role though, like Gini does alongside Fabs/Henderson.

I think Klopp's idea is to have Fabinho and Keita as the engine room in midfield and then another more attacking player infront.

 

[Peatcheo]

His close control in the middle of the park, and his ability to break the lines with skills is a really good attribute to have.

There were a good few occasions where he was dinking in and out of their players giving the ball, which was boss to watch.

 

[RedStar]

Hes in his best spell of form since joining us and you can see him growing in confidence. I still feel hes playing at about 80% of his true capability, but with Ox and Fabinho out for a couple of weeks he will get time to settle and play himself into contention long term. He needs to turn in consistent performances like last night and not just in 10 or 20 minute cameos but hes definitely heading in the right direction.

 

[Dreambeliever]

He’s had a great month long may it continue and hopefully he stays injury free.

Fabs walks back in, the rest fight it out for the other two spots.

 

[Raz]

fab will walk into the team

Yup and he better. Hate to see a player as valuable and vital to the team upset in any way shape or form.

 

[RedStar]

He’s had a great month long may it continue and hopefully he stays injury free.

Fabs walks back in, the rest fight it out for the other two spots.

When is he actually due back?

 

[mom]

fab will walk into the team

You’d think so. I’d like to see him back in ASAP as he’s ace. But, we’re not exactly leaking goals at the moment and just battered Leicester away without conceding and played the best 90mins we’ve played all season.

 

[moron]

He’s had a great month long may it continue and hopefully he stays injury free.

Fabs walks back in, the rest fight it out for the other two spots.

Don't think so right now, from what I have seen so far, Hendo has somehow - don't know how, but significantly improved and as a team we look more defensively stable at the back since Fab has been injured. I think Fab, gives a kind of false sense of security and our midfield just go forward mad - as a result we start leaking goals, for proof of this just check the extreme version of what I am saying by looking at our midfield in the Euro Super Cup game. We basically said to Fab --- "here mate just take care of the midfield ... us two are going to join the other three up front" - it was just silly and that game needn't have gone to penalties if we had exercised more control in midfield.

 

[localny]

I can't believe it. i didn't even notice fabs was missing.

jesus h, what a time, and a great benchmark for future teams

 

[King Binny]

 

[Squiggles]

We're starting to see what we saw in the YT Comps before joining us. The dribbling, breaking between lines, through balls, pressing, ball recoveries, aggression and extremely comfortable in any area of the pitch. He's not fully there yet. He's getting into great attacking positions and also finishing chances, but I think he can do this more. His confidence is growing and I hope to see some long-range efforts start to fly in soon because he can certainly hit it.

His talent has never been in doubt, but his resilience and mentality has. This run of games feels like he's turned a corner and is starting to feel at home in this side. The Chamberlain injury really gives him an opportunity to make a name for himself in this side, but he has to keep his body fit and free from injury and keep playing how he's doing. I don't agree Fabinho is an automatic starter for every match we play. Depends on all sorts of factors. With an improved Keita we can now start to adjust the balance of our midfield to suit the opposition and support our front three more when required.

 

[lfc.eddie]

If he continues to find our forwards' runs with those through balls like he did for Salah, or dribble past a couple and get himself into the 18 yard box, he is going to make me a believer. I am still having doubts about him able to sustain his fitness and form. With his dribble and passes to the forward to create opportunities, he will offload the reliance on both our fullbacks to provide assists after assists. Can only be a good thing for us.

 

[mwake]

Don't think so right now, from what I have seen so far, Hendo has somehow - don't know how, but significantly improved and as a team we look more defensively stable at the back since Fab has been injured. I think Fab, gives a kind of false sense of security and our midfield just go forward mad - as a result we start leaking goals, for proof of this just check the extreme version of what I am saying by looking at our midfield in the Euro Super Cup game. We basically said to Fab --- "here mate just take care of the midfield ... us two are going to join the other three up front" - it was just silly and that game needn't have gone to penalties if we had exercised more control in midfield.

So true moron lol!

We basically said to Fab --- "here mate just take care of the midfield ... us two are going to join the other three up front"....

As for Keita remember when people called Gini a flop and when some thought we should sell Casper the Ghost? Let's not pretend Gini had an extended time where he was considered a msytery, people wondered why we signed him. Its only take some the beginning of last season that Gini has finally become the consistent beast he is.


It took Gini ages to adapt to the midfield gengenpressing that klopp demands, assume learn quicker than others, I think we have to put Keita in the Gini time line.

 

[Frogfish]

Some exquisite close control on a number of occasions. I couldn't understand how Keita lost control on that run into the penalty area, which the commentator said he 'over-ran' until I looked at it again in slo-mo, in fact what happened was one of the defenders just go a toe to the ball to take it away from him.

I screen shot this from the slo-mo:

 

[lfc.eddie]

Fabinho was one of the main men in the middle of the pitch late in the season when we were raking in those cleansheets. We have improved because Alisson is back and not like we don’t concede chances with Henderson in that position.

Fabinho is still the go to guy in that position when fit. He was superb last season.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

fab will walk into the team

He did, and Salah lobbed the fucker.

wrong joke?

 

[moron]

So true moron lol!

We basically said to Fab --- "here mate just take care of the midfield ... us two are going to join the other three up front"....

As for Keita remember when people called Gini a flop and when some thought we should sell Casper the Ghost? Let's not pretend Gini had an extended time where he was considered a msytery, people wondered why we signed him. Its only take some the beginning of last season that Gini has finally become the consistent beast he is.


It took Gini ages to adapt to the midfield gengenpressing that klopp demands, assume learn quicker than others, I think we have to put Keita in the Gini time line.

Keita has taken time, but Gini was one of those players that I took to straight away after we signed him. You could see how good he was and I remember him scoring some really essential goals for us in Klopp's early days - like Man City at home, and I think he even got one away at Old Trafford ? - what was lacking was consistency that but that has improved since we signed Fabinho, and also the confidence he has gained for his national side. For Keita, I think he has improved significantly in the last few games and the game against Leicester was his best for us by a country mile. The frustrations with him have been enhanced due to his constant niggling injuries which have not helped him or us impatient supporters. If he had cost us below 25M - then maybe we can wait, but the fact is he cost us around 50M+, and for that money I expect a confident, and fit player who is hungry for games and express himself. It's been over a one season now, so we have every right to expect the goods from him now.