Former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby has delivered his verdict on summer signing Xherdan Shaqiri.
He says that the 26-year-old has a pretty good idea of what is required of him at Liverpool, as he has played in Jurgen Klopp’s teams before – and added that if the Reds can start him over the next few weeks, it would be a “bonus” for them.
Molby thinks that the £90,000-a-week [Spotrac] star is a player who can take responsibility when he is on the ball, whilst commenting on how he is a fan of how Shaqiri likes to go forward and take risks.
“Shaqiri can play in a central role, and [Adam] Lallana would very much be an option also. Having played in Klopp’s teams before, he would already have a fairly good idea of what was required,” he wrote in a Liverpool Echo column.
“Whether he’s fit enough, we’ll soon find out. But if Liverpool can get a few games out of him in the coming weeks, it would be a bonus. Shaqiri has done well so far. Nobody has doubted his quality, it was more whether he could put it all together with the work-rate required to play at Liverpool.
“But so far, so good. He takes responsibility on the ball, whether that’s in open play or at set-pieces. He wants to play forward and to take risks in his game, and I like that type of player.”
OPINION
We have not seen much of Shaqiri at Liverpool just yet, as he has not been handed many starts – but fingers crossed we can see what he can really do over the next few weeks. Given the injury list that the Reds have, now could not be a better time for Shaqiri to show why the club were right to bring him in from Stoke City. Yes, we have already seen glimpses of what he can do – but seeing him play on a regular basis will allow fans to judge him accordingly. Molby is right though – he is a player who likes to go forward and take risks. He is known to be a very versatile player, meaning that he can operate in a number of positions in the midfield. Liverpool should count themselves lucky that they have a player like him amongst their ranks – and hopefully the best of him is yet to come.
