Fabinho’s up-and-down season at Liverpool is no issue in the slightest, with the Brazilian an integral figure moving forward.
The 26-year-old’s Reds career has almost occurred in three stages so far, following his move from Monaco in 2018.
At first, he took time to settle under Jurgen Klopp, adjusting to his new manager’s system and tactics.
After a few months of that, Fabinho found his feet, however, becoming one of the first names on the team sheet. An all-conquering performance at home to Manchester United before Christmas stood out, and he remained monstrous as Liverpool clinched Champions League glory.
The midfielder found a similar level at the start of this season before his campaign was curtailed by an injury picked up against Napoli in November.
A two-month spell on the sidelines followed, during which time Jordan Henderson excelled and filled the deep-lying midfield void with ease before he returned in January.
The Fabinho on show since then has been a far cry from the dominant figure seen in the previous 12 months or so, with a lack of legs and rustiness on the ball both evident.
In fact, he was one of Liverpool’s poorest performers in the lead-up to football being postponed, leading to criticism from some supporters.
It is clear that Fabinho was merely suffering from a lack of match fitness and confidence, however, and anyone going too far over the top is simply being knee-jerk.
They are forgetting just how good he has been, slotting into the No.6 role more effectively than any Liverpool player since Javier Mascherano.
For all of Henderson’s defensive midfield brilliance this season, he remains more effective further up the pitch, and not on Fabinho’s elite level playing deeper.
At 26, the Brazil international should still have many years left at the top, at a time when several other Reds midfielders are either over or approaching 30 years of age.
As the years pass, this slight dip is likely to be forgotten about, proving to be a blip in an otherwise superb Liverpool career.
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