Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp may be left to rue comments from Jamie Carragher about James Maddison ahead of their huge match against Tottenham later today. It’s been an amazing start to the season for both Liverpool and Tottenham with Ange Postecoglou earning high praise for his impact at Spurs so far.
Klopp’s side have been doing what they do best in finding the net on a regular basis and digging deep to grind out results. But Liverpool will know they can’t afford any slip-ups away at Tottenham tonight with Maddison central to their plans.
The midfielder has been a revelation since his move to north London, picking up where he left off with Leicester. He’s helped provide that link between midfield and attack for Postecoglou’s side with two goals and four assists to his name already.
His performances for Tottenham have raised some questions as to why clubs competing in Europe didn’t try and rival Spurs for Maddison’s signature. However, Carragher feels Maddison is ‘unfashionable’ and a ‘luxury’ player that teams competing higher up in the table can’t afford to have on their books anymore.
He told the Telegraph: “With the utmost respect to Maddison and Spurs, it explains why his options during the summer did not include Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool,” he wrote for the Telegraph. “I have no doubt all watched him for Leicester and at some point over the last three years considered signing him.
“The reason they said no is because Maddison’s most effective position is unfashionable for elite coaches. Maddison excels most as an out-and-out number 10. Over the last six years – or certainly since Pep Guardiola’s 4-3-3 began dominating world football – such players are an endangered species.
“There was a time when every creative player fancied themselves as the number 10. It became such a coveted role, I would roll my eyes every time a teammate said it was their preferred position as they felt frustrated being stuck out wide, denied the chance to run the game. Now the position is perceived as a luxury, typified recently by someone such as Mesut Ozil who for all his skill gave the impression the hardest yards had to be run by ball-winning midfielders while he racked up the assists.”
