OPINION
Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been a bit of a mixed bag this season, with his performances sometimes rather frustrating to watch.
The fans called for Jurgen Klopp to include him in the starting XI for the Southampton clash last Friday after he missed the match against Tottenham before that. Klopp then made their calls a reality by picking him in his midfield trio.
It is hard what to make of the 25-year-old. He was snubbed by the manager at the start of the campaign, who seemed to prefer playing the likes of Gini Wijnaldum in the middle of the park – even Naby Keita got the nod at the beginning. It was no wonder he was frustrated.
“Pre-season went great for me. I was playing every game but when it came to the start of the season the coach had everyone available and he wanted to go with players who he had already worked with before,” he told the Telegraph.
“It was a case of learning, watching and getting up to speed. Watching from the side-lines as to how the team works.
“I was hoping for opportunities early on but I knew this could happen, I knew that I needed to be patient, work hard and that when the chance came to play I had already adapted and I could see what the team was trying to do so I was up to the pace of it.”
He is absolutely spot on here – the Brazilian since then has proved he could adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
In the times when he has been on form, he has been unstoppable, and this is no doubt something that has worked in his favour. He has proved that Klopp was wrong to snub him at the start after these remarks – especially if pre-season went according to plan for him personally.
That being said, Liverpool have reaped the benefits of him being included in Klopp’s first team plans recently. He provides a steadiness to the midfield that otherwise is not there.
