Diogo Jota should be replaced in Jurgen Klopp’s starting lineup for Liverpool this weekend, it has been suggested.
Unexpectedly, Jota has started each of the Reds’ two Premier League matches so far this year. On Saturday, the 26-year-old scored his first goal of the season by capitalizing on a parried Dominik Szoboszlai shot to make it 3-1 for Liverpool.
Stephan Warnock, a pundit, believes that shouldn’t be enough to keep him on the team. Yesterday, the former Reds defender told Sky Sports News through The Express that Jota was maybe the ‘weak link’ in Klopp’s forward line.
The expert said, “I think there’s a real mixture between the three [forward players].” “Personally, I believe [Luis] Diaz is the player who will attempt to bring spectators out of their seats and onto their feet. He is the kind of player who can compete against an individual.
Salah will do it to a certain extent, but he also has quiet times during games. Whenever he touches the ball, though, you just have the sensation that something extraordinary might occur or that he could make a quick change.
Because of his link-up play and occasional carelessness with the ball, Jota is perhaps the weakest link in the trio. We saw with the goal [on Saturday] that he transforms into a new beast when the ball enters the penalty area. He comes to life and is there in a flash.
“I think that if Endo starts and [Alexis] Mac Allister and [Dominik] Szoboszlai were to play higher up the pitch, I think that then moves Gakpo into that central striker position, and Jota drops to the bench.”
Klopp urged to drop Jota
Plenty won’t agree with Warnock here. Jota has proven time and again that he deserves a place in the Liverpool starting XI.
But plenty of others will see where the 41-year-old is coming from.
Although he did score on Saturday – and also created Luis Diaz’s opener – you were left with the feeling of wanting more from Diogo.
John Powell/Liverpool FC provided the image for this post.His touch can be exasperatingly bad at times, and he often starts games by giving the ball away right away.
You sometimes can’t help but wish one of Darwin Nunez or Cody Gakpo would replace Jota since both are on the bench.But it’s obvious that Klopp has faith in him. And Jota has earned that confidence since his £45 million move to Anfield in 2020.
The 26-year-old has been a dependable player when Liverpool has needed him, scoring 42 goals in 115 outings for the team.
It appears that he now owns the shirt.We don’t anticipate that changing any time soon if Alexis Mac Allister’s red card is maintained. Gakpo will probably stay in midfield because there aren’t many other choices. Darwin may have a point, but as long as Jota continues scoring, it’s difficult to imagine Jurgen eliminating him.