Paul Merson raved about Liverpool midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho as he highlighted how hard they work for the team.
The former Arsenal player claimed the trio enabled full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to bomb forward down the flanks, and he acknowledged that they were unsung heroes who don’t get enough credit.
However, Merson then stated that in his opinion, they weren’t the best three midfielder players in the world.
“They give the full-backs great opportunities to bomb forward as they do so much hard work,” said Merson on Sky Sports’ The Debate (22:11, Monday, November 11th).
“I can understand they’re unsung heroes and don’t get the credit they deserve, but for me, they’re not the best three midfielder players in the world of football.
“You look at the front three, they’re the best at going forward, that front three is the best in the world, but that midfield three isn’t the best in the world in my opinion, but they are unsung.”
OPINION
It’s easy to see where Merson is coming from. While Henderson, Wijnaldum and Fabinho deserve more credit for the job they do for Liverpool, as it’s not glamorous, they’re not the best three midfielders in the world on paper. They’re the best at the role they play in Jurgen Klopp’s side, but that doesn’t mean they all rank among the world’s elite. For example, take Henderson. The Reds captain is a key component of Liverpool’s side, but would he walk into some of Europe’s other big teams? Doubtful. The 29-year-old has contributed one goal and one assist to the cause across 11 Premier League outings, but he can’t exactly be classed an attacking asset. Henderson has only averaged 0.4 shots per game, as per WhoScored, and on average has only made 0.5 key passes, and they’re very underwhelming numbers. Also while the 29-year-old has averaged 1.8 tackles per game, as per WhoScored, you would have to think there are more defensive-minded midfielders who could easily rack up better numbers. Yet Henderson just works tirelessly for the Reds and Klopp and blends into their team.
