There were two key questions in transforming Liverpool’s midfield this summer: what players would it be made up of and what formation were the club buying for?
More specifically, would Jurgen Klopp go back to his traditional 4-3-3 system or continue with the 3-box-3 formation that Liverpool ended the season in?
The addition of Dominik Szoboszlai appears to have provided some clarity as the 22-year-old seems extremely well suited to the role of No. 10 right midfielder.
You can already imagine how Liverpool could operate in such a system, with Alexis Mac Allister – the other big signing of the summer so far – in front of him.
It’s no surprise coach Jurgen Klopp is such a fan. He represents exactly the type of player Liverpool are aiming for: young (22), at the peak of his career, with a lot of experience both at home and abroad and the right qualities of leadership and maturity.
Playing in midfield won’t be anything new for Szoboszlai as he acted on the right side of Marco Rose’s 4-2-2-2 for Leipzig in the 2022/23 season.
One of the main reasons Liverpool were interested in the Hungary international is his ability to fill different roles in different systems. He can play as a No.8, No.10 and on either wing but is an attacking midfielder by nature.
Liverpool’s scouting team have been keen observers for many years and believe that as a false nine, wide midfielder and No 10 in what is believed to be his best position, he can add pace and skill in the last third.
“Honestly, I don’t care – I want to be on the pitch,” he said in his first interview with club media. “But of course everyone has their own position. As a 10 attacking midfielder, of course. I can play on both tens, left, right, also on the sides. I just want to play.”
After last month’s addition of Mac Allister to fill the No 10 position on the left and continued links with Nice’s Khephren Thuram and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, who are profiling more as No 6, that remained Position #10 on the right is an area that needs to be addressed.
Jordan Henderson was pushed into this position at the end of the season, but obviously this role does not suit his strengths.
The England international was an important player due to his leadership skills and tactical acumen – which helped considering Liverpool learned the system over time.
However, his lack of creativity and goal involvement was more evident in a more advanced midfield role. According to FBref, seven of Henderson’s best eight games came after the system change because of touching in the attacking third.
GO DEEPER
Dominik Szoboszlai: The versatile technician who could be perfect for Liverpool
Henderson didn’t score and provided just three assists in 43 appearances in all competitions, pales in comparison to Szoboszlai’s 10 goals and 13 assists in 46 appearances. That’s not to criticize Henderson, who played deeper than the No10 for most of the season, but that’s not the England international’s game.
Henderson was a key cog in Liverpool’s right triangle alongside Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Liverpool’s right number 8 has always been higher than the left number 8, but especially in the midfield.
The new system has changed the positional rotation between the three players, requiring the central midfielder to step in more often than the widest of those three players, while Alexander-Arnold plays narrower.
The chart below shows Henderson’s touch map from the last ten games last season and shows how often the 33-year-old drifted wide to receive the ball.
Although Szoboszlai often played as a right midfielder in 4-2-2-2 or 4-2-3-1 formations for Leipzig last season, you wouldn’t call him an outright winger. Rather, he’s a creative attacking midfielder who draws wide – a crucial part of the brief for the No10’s role at right-back in midfield in the penalty area.
In this example against Ottensen, Szoboszlai picked up the ball on the right flank and fired past the closest defender.
He drove into the box and reached the baseline before giving his teammate an easy cutback.
As Leipzig moved forward, Szoboszlai maintained the width of the team…
…and ran on to a right channel pass to allow another cut for an easy tap-in.
Not only is traversing an important part of his creativity, but he also shows his intelligence by consistently being able to pick the right attack and teammates.
In the last two seasons, Szoboszlai created 161 chances, a record for the RB Leipzig side, and 99 of those came from the game – with Christopher Nkunku, now at Chelsea, being the only team-mate to have more (132) from the game scored out.
Szoboszlai also had the fifth-highest assist xG in the Bundesliga (7.72), of which 5.97 was from open play.
He averaged 5.5 shot-making actions per 90 minutes – the two offensive actions that led directly to a shot, such as passes, take-ons and draw fouls – which was the highest in the Leipzig squad and significantly more than any other Liverpool player was in the top three in Premier League last season with Harvey Elliott (4.19), Mohamed Salah (3.83) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (3.82).
He is adept at finding open spaces and then moving the ball quickly or carrying it forward. He excels in transitional moments, which is ideal for Liverpool’s system, and his technical quality allows him to showcase his quick feet and strong passing game.
In this example, Szoboszlai gained possession, turned around and powered up the opposing defence.
Waiting for the perfect moment, he held off the defenders and pushed Nkunku inside.
The Frenchman ended the play with a tender chip.
In another example, he was patient and stayed in the space he was in when the ball was played into striker Andre Silva.
The Portuguese striker passed the ball to Szoboszlai, who drew the full-back towards him…
…and he slipped in right-back Mohamed Simakan.
You can imagine almost the same move but replacing Silva and Simakan with Cody Gakpo and Salah.
Adding to his creativity is his renowned long-range shooting, which will come in handy against deep teams. Cautious opponents could be lured out of position if they need to stop him, creating passing paths around the box.
Szoboszlai’s high pressing and defensive stats have improved as he gains more experience and he should fit into Liverpool’s counter-pressing philosophy, although the intensity of the Premier League and Klopp’s notoriously demanding system should be taken into account to some extent.
The absence of Henderson, who is a reliable defensive player on the right, raises questions about protection in the right channel in front of right centre-back Ibrahima Konate. Henderson is excellent at filling in gaps: Szoboszlai must use his athleticism to achieve the same and give Salah and Alexander-Arnold the freedom to perform.
That will certainly be a key issue for Liverpool to deal with at next week’s pre-season training camp in Germany. For now, however, their midfield mystery is nearing completion and they now have two exciting young footballers whom Klopp can mold to suit his vision of the club’s new era.
(Top photo: Ronny Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images)