Naby Keita's arrival at Liverpool was one of the most anticipated transfers in recent memory, largely because the deal was agreed a full year before he actually showed up on Merseyside. Liverpool fans were salivating at the thought of him slotting into their midfield, and his YouTube compilation videos racked up millions of views as a result.
His ability to provide dribbling and penetration from deeper areas of the pitch is something that was sorely lacking in the Liverpool squad for the last couple of seasons, and it seemed to be crying out for a player such as Keita. Jürgen Klopp certainly thought so, forking out over £50million to bring him to Anfield. He was even willing to wait a year to get his man. He was the heir apparent to Steven Gerrard's famous number eight jersey.
Once he arrived in July, Keita did not disappoint. He was excellent in pre-season, and he seemed ready to take the Premier League by storm. In many senses, he did. Keita was unbelievable in the opener against West Ham.
He was everything that the club's supporters hoped he would be: fast, direct, with incisive passing and dribbling moves. The same was true for the next game against Crystal Palace, and many labelled him as man of the match in both of the opening two fixtures.
So the question now needs to be asked, why isn't he playing?
After a quieter performance against Brighton in the next game, he was substituted just after the hour mark. He has only started one of the last five Premier League/Champions League games. He has made substitute appearances in most of those games, but he has not been given an extended role within the team that most expected he would have.
The Chelsea game today is an example of why Keita should be playing. The first half today was ok. Liverpool performed reasonably well, and but for a Hazard moment of magic, they were the better side.
But there was something lacking. There seemed to be a clear disconnect between the team's midfield and front three. For all the hard work and honesty that the trio of Henderson, Milner and Wijnaldum, none of them will get at defences or play that defence-splitting pass in behind. Keita can.
This continued throughout the game. Everything they created came down the wings. There was a notable lack of penetration in central areas, and yet the Guinean international only came on for the final 12 minutes. He showed flashes when he came on, a little forward pass here and there, along with a couple of excellent dribbles.
Ultimately Sturridge saved Liverpool with an absolute wonder goal, and they deserved a point. Many Liverpool fans questioned the decision to leave him sitting on the bench for so long.
This game is screaming for someone like Naby Keita. Dynamic midfield runs to link with Firmino, Salah and Mane and provide a quality final ball that’s so desperately lacking.
— Leanne Prescott (@_lfcleanne) September 29, 2018
We don't know the reasons Keita is not in the starting line up. This is not to question Jürgen Klopp either, he knows what is best for his team. It is just a bit puzzling.
Yes he is a new signing, and they can take time to acclimate to their new surroundings. But the fact that he performed so well in the opening two games of the season would seem to suggest this is not the issue.
For today's trip to Stamford Bridge, it is likely that Klopp simply wanted a solid unit in the middle part of the pitch. Milner and Wijnaldum have been in fantastic form to start the season, so they certainly can justify their place in the team.
But Henderson looks way off the pace. His passing is sloppy, and he looks a step or two slower than his usual self. While it could be argued that he is needed for the defensive midfield role, Wijnaldum was fantastic in that position in recent games. Keita's engine is definitely good enough to get around the pitch, and he certainly does not shy away from a tackle.
This is not panic stations for Liverpool. A draw away at Chelsea is a good result for any team. They missed a lot of chances, many of which they would have converted on another day. They could have won it. But this does not make this issue go away.
In many respects, the results today was not really relevant. The question still would remain, what exactly is going on with Naby Keita?
