Shay Given has named one ‘generational expertise’ at Manchester Metropolis who he’s claimed could be an computerized choice for Liverpool if he had been in Arne Slot’s squad.
The 2 golf equipment who’ve annexed the Premier League title between them for the previous eight years have each had formidable line-ups who’ve sparked myriad debates a couple of mixed XI and who’d be a starter for his or her respective rivals.
Whereas we suspect that many Reds supporters would privately like to have Erling Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne at Anfield (the latter was reportedly the topic of a proposal from Merseyside final month), the previous Republic of Eire goalkeeper believes there’s one other participant on the Etihad Stadium who’d simply get into the LFC group.
Given claims Grealish would ‘stroll into’ Liverpool’s beginning XI
Given has been singing the praises of Jack Grealish, insisting that the Man Metropolis winger remains to be an exceptional participant regardless of a tricky couple of years beneath Pep Guardiola.
The 49-year-old instructed Metro: “I believe Jack has been a generational expertise, I actually do. I believe Jack can play for each single group within the nation. I keep in mind not so way back he was enjoying a central position for England after they performed Eire final yr. He was the star man; he was phenomenal that day.
“He’s solely 29; he nonetheless has three or 4 good years forward of him on the high. Having not performed just lately, he might be actually hungry to go on the market and present how good he’s.
“I wouldn’t wish to title golf equipment however on the identical time I believe he walks into any group within the nation – that even consists of Liverpool or Chelsea or anybody. I believe he simply must be given a batch of video games to point out how good he’s again in that central place and never out vast.”
(Picture by Carl Recine/Getty Pictures)
Grealish doesn’t get in Liverpool’s group forward of Gakpo or Diaz
Whereas we respect Given as among the finest goalkeepers of the Premier League period (and arguably one of the best that Eire has ever produced), we’d should disagree with him on his verdict about Grealish stepping into the Reds’ beginning XI.
Since becoming a member of Man Metropolis for Aston Villa for £100m 4 years in the past, the winger has scored simply 17 targets in 157 appearances. When contemplating the group through which he performs, his place on the pitch and his switch price, that’s a reasonably underwhelming output, particularly in comparion to his left-sided counterparts at Anfield.
Luis Diaz netted 17 occasions in 50 matches in the course of the 2024/25 season alone, and even that was surpassed by Cody Gakpo’s 18 targets in 49 video games (Switch market).
Darwin Nunez is frequently derided amongst British media (and loads of Liverpool followers) for his lack of finish product, however he’s nonetheless discovered the online 40 occasions in 143 outings for the Reds, whose preliminary £64m outlay on him in 2022 was considerably lower than what Metropolis paid for Grealish.
We don’t dispute that the England worldwide has an abundance of innate expertise – the BBC’s Neil Johnston dubbed him ‘undroppable‘ when Guardiola’s facet gained the treble two years in the past – however the present model of him doesn’t get into the beginning XI at Anfield, regardless of Given’s perception on the contrary.
We’re more than pleased for Slot to proceed selecting between Gakpo and Diaz for the left winger berth in L4!
