Jürgen Klopp’s request was complied with as best Liverpool could. The manager had requested that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keta not be forgotten at the send-off at Anfield. Each was duly given a plaque and was able to enjoy a guard of honour and some nice applause from the crowd.
But inevitably, the real attention was elsewhere. Even James Milner may have felt a bit badly done by because the day really belonged to Roberto Firmino, who is arguably the most emblematic of Liverpool’s success under Klopp. He received a rendition of his song from the Kop.
Strangely enough, however, Klopp’s biggest concern this summer will likely be finding a replacement for Firmino. The fact that Cody Gakpo has been such a revelation as the Brazilian’s successor allows Liverpool to get away without signing any new forwards, despite the manager’s declaration that he will look at every outfield position in the summer market.
The departure of three of his long-serving midfielders could pose a bigger concern. Milner will leave the biggest gap since he was used more frequently than the others, but losing the trio at once will have a big overall impact.
It also provides a chance. Keta and Oxlade-Chamberlain each exemplified Klopp’s determined effort to revamp the Liverpool midfield in their own unique ways. Now that he can start over, he might finally be able to find someone who is comparable to his own Steven Gerrard.
The team was open about wanting Keta to wear the coveted number 8 jersey for the first time since Gerrard left the team. The reasoning was simple: as an all-action player, it was believed that he would combine the defensive workrate that is characteristic of a midfielder under Klopp with some output in the final third, increasing the Liverpool danger.
There was some type of yearning for a Gerrard figure with Oxlade-Chamberlain as well. That was undoubtedly the intention of the player, who boasted about his desire to imitate the Liverpool star immediately after his team’s FA Cup victory with Arsenal in 2017.
Oxlade-Chamberlain did at least get to live the Gerrard fantasy in brief spurts as he left Anfield with that “oh, he can hit one” moment. Keta also gave tantalising flashes of his ability when he was able to tie together any sort of run of games. But in the end, neither strategy achieved its objectives.
At first, it appeared that Klopp would make another attempt in the forthcoming transfer market. This would have been a bold new attempt to get a Gerrard figure, with the Englishman someone who sticks out both in the stats and in the flesh as a midfielder who can do it all. Jude Bellingham would have been the key target in this bold new endeavour. The player’s public affection for the former Liverpool captain was distinctly Oxlade-Chamberlain, even if the numbers reflected shades of Keta.
But once that plan has been dropped, it appears that Liverpool will work to strengthen its midfield as a whole, creating a group that can exert more of a collective influence. Klopp’s strategy might not be completely futile, though.
The most recent campaign was likely Keta’s best while wearing a Liverpool jersey. He played more minutes than ever before and was a constant for Klopp’s team as they captured the double. Even if the number eight was still a long way from having that Gerrard presence, he was at least moving in the right direction.
This season, Keta has visibly been lacking in that, returning to her usual availability of barely any. But, at least for the past ten games, he hasn’t really been missed. That could be as a result of internal implementation of the Klopp strategy.
Nearly everyone was shocked when Curtis Jones first appeared on the scene. Even the sceptics, however, have to admit that he has performed admirably throughout this stint in the side, and it turns out that his figures are pretty similar to those Keta posted last year.
Jones is up at 0.28 goals per 90 minutes for the season, while Keta was at 0.23. Gerrard averaged 0.24 over the duration of his Premier League career.
Jones had a good 0.11 assists this season, but Keta has the advantage in anticipated assists in 2021–2022, with 0.15 per 90. He may be anticipated to finish with something in the neighbourhood of 10–11 goals and three–four assists over the course of a complete season as a regular starter. These are quite strong stats from midfield.
Given that Jones came out of the academy as an attacking force, his defensive work rate has always been a concern. In the past, Klopp tried to slot him in as far back as the number six position, but it never felt right. But the 22-year-old has shown he has what it takes to lead from the front when it comes to pressing.
With 2.92 tackles per 90, he ranks 88th among midfielders in the top five leagues in Europe for the past calendar year. He maintains his flawless pass accuracy while progressing to the 87th percentile for progressive carries. He has quietly developed into a true all-arounder.
Like Keta and Oxlade-Chamberlain before him, he will have to demonstrate his ability to do this over an extended period of time. He too has experienced injury issues, and if a person cannot be build an entire team around them, they have absolutely no chance of ever being anything approximating a Gerrard figure.
However, recent indications have been quite encouraging. At the very least, Klopp is aware that he has already taken Keta’s spot in the Liverpool team, which allows for the continuation of Project Gerrard even if it will almost certainly never be accomplished.