Liverpool’s lack of defensive midfielders has sparked renewed interest in Stefan Bajcetic’s chances of playing there. But does he really play his best there?
The young Spaniard looks set to break into Liverpool’s first team last season.
He has progressed well in Liverpool’s Academy since joining Celta Vigo’s youth team in 2021. However, his rapid rise to Jürgen Klopp’s starting line-up has made even Bajcetic familiar. He was always technically excellent, but it was his handling qualities that surprised the most when playing in the first team.
His brilliant awareness, combined with his bite in the game, meant he quickly became one of Klopp’s best midfielders when the losses of senior players came under the spotlight.
Unfortunately, Bajcetic’s season ended early when he suffered an adductor injury in March. Klopp initially described the injury as “very bad”, but luckily the layoff was not as long as feared.
He is now slowly being brought back into the squad, playing as an unused substitute against Bournemouth before being left out of the squad vs. Newcastle.
A new environment
With the signings of Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai and the return of Curtis Jones at the end of last season, the competition for the midfield position is fierce.
However, Klopp was always keen to remind us that Bajcetic is not forgotten and is part of his plans.
Currently, his obvious place is 6. The signing of Wataru Endo has eased supporters’ nerves about the void in the squad, but he is 30 years old and most see him as a valuable stop-gap to Fabinho. A long time follower is found. Many believe that the club already has a successor in Bajcetic, but there is reason to believe that the Spaniard is better suited to a box-to-box role than just a holding player.
The story so far
Klopp initially used the youngster as a defensive midfielder when he came into the team, but it soon became clear that Bajcetic played better playing in a slightly higher position.
His incisive passing provided a major boost to Liverpool’s forward line after Christmas and a goal at Villa Park on Boxing Day showed he has the composure to operate in the opposition penalty area.
Off the ball, the 18-year-old was energetic and closed quickly – he wouldn’t be playing under Klopp if he couldn’t – but there were signs statistically that he wasn’t in the league of top defensive midfielders. in the league.
Last season, although with a smaller sample than others, Bajcetic scored 1.03 shots per 90 minutes. Compared to Fabinho, Rodri and Casemiro, he is clearly the weakest, with the rest getting 1.28, 1.27 and 1.94 per game.
Where he excels…
However, where Bacjetic excelled was the pass into the penalty area. With his value of 1.21 per 90, he beat others in this regard and clearly showed that he is an asset in the future.
Without a doubt, a midfielder’s strongest asset is his vision and awareness.
Using his impeccable possession,
he has the ability that other Spaniards such as Xabi Alonso, Andreo Iniesta and Xavi have had to draw players out with smart bodywork. He excelled at the back and could easily turn a potentially dangerous situation into an attacking one. Obviously, this is an important skill for the modern defensive midfielder, but there is more to Bajcetic.
He seemed to be held back at times playing as a holding midfielder.
Defensive midfield is a particularly difficult position to learn and it takes experience to become an expert.
In last season’s home game against Real Madrid, Bajcetic saw firsthand how much he had to learn when facing Luka Modric. Perhaps Bajcetic will dominate the central defensive role over time.
At the moment, though, with his uncanny ability to exploit the ball when he gets it, he’s a better No. 8 than No. 6 from every angle, but that’s just my cup of tea.
