Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised the role oF Georginio Wijnaldum in the club’s 1-0 victory over Brighton on Saturday evening.
The Guardian write that Wijnaldum was a standout performer in the centre of the midfield three which stood firm for the 90 minutes.
The Dutchman was expected to be on the fringes after the arrivals of Naby Keita and Fabinho in the summer but has started all three of the Reds’ matches alongside Keita and James Milner.
Club captain Jordan Henderson is being eased back after England’s exploits at the World Cup and Fabinho is yet to feature as he takes time to adjust to his new side’s style of play.
It remains to be seen how often Wijnaldum will feature once those two return, but his performances so far will have done his chances no harm.
On the midfield trio, Klopp said:
The situation was clear from the beginning. Hendo would not have a big break and Fabinho would need time to settle in, so it was always clear that Gini would be in the mix for that position. He can play both. He was brilliant in pre-season as the eight. He was good as the six but brilliant as the eight. That’s why we never had any doubts about that.
They all have different characteristics in that role but if we don’t defend as a team neither Hendo, Fabinho or Gini can play the role very well because space is just too big. It’s not possible. If we defend well, then it is all fine. Gini is a good footballer, the other two are as well.
Wijnaldum moved to Merseyside in the summer of 2016 in a deal worth up to £25m from Newcastle United and has since made 72 Premier League appearance for the Reds, scoring seven times.
