A closer look at Jeremie Frimpong's current situation at Liverpool as the ECHO chats to former Reds right-back Glen Johnson
Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong(Image: AFP or licensors)
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A penny for the thoughts of Jeremie Frimpong as he watched Liverpool colleagues Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk combine to score for the Netherlands at the World Cup on Sunday evening.
Ronald Koeman's Oranje met Japan on Sunday night in Dallas in what was arguably the standout tie of the World Cup's early going, playing out a 2-2 draw that also saw Cody Gakpo involved.
Frimpong was the odd man out from Liverpool's quartet of Dutch players, left at home by Koeman after an indifferent first season that was blighted by muscle injuries at Anfield.
It says a lot about the general misfortune Liverpool endured during a troubled term under Arne Slot that Frimpong arrived with a pristine injury record only to succumb to a setback on his debut that left him out for a month.
That was followed up by a second muscle complaint in October, lasting just 19 minutes of a thumping victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. It was a problem that left him on the shelf until shortly before Christmas.
Another setback, this time only four minutes in a 6-0 dismantling of Qarabag in the Champions League, saw him replaced by Wataru Endo, who had his own season ended with a serious ankle injury just a few weeks later.
In total, Frimpong spent 127 days injured last season, which is nearly double the 65 he had previously been out of action for across his entire career, according to data collated by the influential Transfermarkt website.
Unable to make a real mark when fit and often tasked with playing out of position, it was an underwhelming campaign for Frimpong, who has still yet to carve out a niche in this Liverpool squad.
"I think Liverpool fans can expect more from Jeremie Frimpong," Dutch legend Jaap Stam tells ComeOn. "The most important thing for him is to stay fit throughout the whole season, which is crucial for every player.
"You can see that for players like Jeremie coming into Liverpool, the intensity of the Premier League is so high, and the club's expectations are very high, leading to more stress and pressure. This doesn't help a player, and it makes it more difficult to adapt at times.
"That's why it takes longer for a player to be successful individually, and for the team to reach a certain level.
"Everybody was expecting Liverpool to win the league again, but bringing in and playing so many new players makes it harder to be successful, even when they are very good. They need time to adjust to everything.
"Jeremie is a great player, he has so much pace. As a full-back, he can bring a lot offensively. Defensively, sometimes because I think he's more attacking minded, he needs to make that next step.
"He needs to learn, and he needs to read the game a little bit better at times, but he's a great player, and I think you can expect a lot more from him next season."
The general hope is that a more aggressive and frenetic style under Andoni Iraola can unlock someone whose main attributes are searing pace and nimble footwork in tight areas, from an offensive point of view.
And if Liverpool are to play high up the pitch, defensively, then the Manchester-born Frimpong can help out as a right-sided full-back with his recovery pace.
That is at least the working theory, but former Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson says the jury remains firmly out for now on the £29m capture from Bayer Leverkusen.
"Everyone was talking about Frimpong being better offensively than defensively, which is a common opinion, but I also don't see enough to say that he can be a right-winger either," Johnson tells the ECHO.
"He doesn't beat anybody. He's technically good and quick, which helps you out, but I haven't seen him blitz past anybody. So, I don't know if he looked better in a weaker league or he's not hit his form and hasn't settled yet.
"So there are big question marks in my mind if he's right-back or right-wing."
The disappointment at missing out on the grand stage will no doubt still be raw for Frimpong but it does mean he will be of the senior stars on Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States next month.
A full programme under the new boss gives him the best possible chance of starting a new era on the right foot.
It will be interesting to see where Iraola best sees the versatile former Celtic man fitting into his tactical framework too. There is talent there waiting to be unleashed if a system can be honed, in the way it was when Frimpong shone under Xabi Alonso en route to the Bundesliga title with Leverkusen in 2023.
"No player who signs for Liverpool is going to be happy missing out on a World Cup squad," Johnson, who made 200 appearances at right-back for the Reds, adds.
"If you are good enough to play for Liverpool, you should be good enough for your national team. Or at least be in the squad, banging on the door.
"You should be good enough to be in the national squad, so that will have been a big blow for him. But like I say, hopefully he can show some character, have a good pre-season, gets some minutes under his belt and show what he can do next season."
A total of 35% of Liverpool's residents believe England will win the World Cup according to Bet StGeorge
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*Glen Johnson was speaking to Liverpool Echo, thanks to Bet St George, who conducted a survey ahead of the World Cup to find out if England really believe it's coming home. 35% of Liverpool's residents believe England will win the World Cup.*
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