Robbie Fowler has praised Liverpool midfielder Fabinho for the impact he made over the course of last season, and has tipped Naby Keita for a big role next term.
The former England international knows a thing or two about performing well at Anfield, and he feels that the two 2018 recruits will be key for Jurgen Klopp’s team next time out.
“Players such as Fabinho and Naby Keita didn’t feature much until the turn of the year and will be far better for the season they have had,” he wrote in his Daily Mirror column. “Fabinho barely played before December, but by the end of the season was one of the team’s most important players – that Barcelona miracle couldn’t have happened without him – and I can’t wait to see what he will become this season.
“Keita is similar. He was stop-start because of niggling injuries and didn’t really figure. If he can get fit – and stay fit – he will be an important player and Liverpool will be a better team. Add Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joe Gomez and even a fit Adam Lallana and they will be stronger. Much stronger. They only really became the team that won the Champions League in the final months of the season and they will kick on.”
OPINION
One of the reasons why Liverpool are thought not to have been particularly busy in the transfer market this summer is that they feel that they have plenty of players returning from injury and coming through the ranks who are a lot like new signings. Oxlade-Chamberlain obviously missed almost all of last season after the setback he suffered against Roma in the campaign before last, but he represents a top class talent who is set to arrive back in the first team frame at Anfield. What he says about Fabinho is spot on, too. The Brazilian international started a little slowly after his move from Monaco, but once he got up to speed he was an incredibly impactful addition to the Reds’ midfield. Keita, though, had a really tough first season in English football. However, we’re all just kind of assuming that the Guinean is going to be better next time out, but that’s no guarantee – particularly with Oxlade-Chamberlain back in the frame.
