Thread by @babuyagu

Thiago created 0 big chances from open play for Bayern last season.

If you think Liverpool's data analysis and scouting teams sat down and picked him out as a player that would 'solve creativity' then you have zero understanding of football.

Thiago is a controller. He helps teams impose the will on the opponent by winning the battle in midfield - keeping the ball away from the opponent, forcing the opponent to surrender the ball if they get it.

He is also a ball progressor. His numbers stand out in terms of moving his team up the pitch and getting the ball into the final 3rd where your more creative players and finishers take over.

The problem is a lot of people don't watch the Bundesliga. They didn't know what he does - so sat down and watched a compilation packaged that showed his best 10 passes resulting in goalscoring chances and thought - wow, he must do that all the time.

There is also a need on FT to criticise players for what they are not which entirely ignores the point of a team needing a mix of skills.

A midfield with all creators is every bit as dysfunctional as a midfield of all destroyers - the dysfunction just looks different.

If you have a guy that breaks up play and recovers the ball at a high level, as well as being one of if not the best at linking play in the world and offers decent penetration to get the ball into the creative players and scorers - he is a good player.

That describes Alonso, Pirlo and so many other deep-lying controllers.

The 'deep-lying' part of that implies they tend t perform their tasks far from the opponents goal hence why they usually are in the low end for goals and assists themselves. This isn't a problem - you don't

want your whole midfield trying to get into the box for their own numbers. Who then is breaking up counters and giving you structure behind the ball to defend transitions if everyone piles into the box.

It's fine to criticise and not rate players. However, if you are justifying this by listing things that are not important to their role then it suggests you don't understand what makes a midfield functional and what his role is in that.

- top 1 percentile for progressive passes
- top 2 percentile for passes into the final 3rd
- top 5 percentile for through-balls
- top 8 percentile for shots created in open play
- top 13 percentile for passes into the box

This is progressive, penetrative and creative passing

- top 4 ball carries
- top 5 carries into the final 3rd
- top 9 progressive carries

This is advancing the ball up the pitch carrying the ball

These things are valuable. I know English football perfected the art of bypassing the middle of the pitch with Allardyce-like hoofball

for years. But it proved ineffective and detrimental to your chances of winning the game. Now we use midfielders to move the ball from defence to the final 3rd. And Thiago excels at that.

https://twitter.com/babuyagu/status/1386845578882166784

To be clear - top 4 = top 4 percentile. I got tired copy-pasting that word at some point :D

All numbers listed here are percentiles.