In the midst of Liverpool's dire defeat to Fenerbahce on Wednesday night in the Champions League, it became blatantly clear that a specific player is holding them back in his current role.
The Reds suffered a second straight loss in Istanbul after losing at home to Arsenal on Sunday. A helter-skelter game ensued at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, with goals from Trey Nyoni and Alexander Isak cancelled out by strikes from Mason Greenwood, Archie Brown and Vedat Muriqi.
Andoni Iraola's decision to make five changes, which included resting the likes of Isak, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, ultimately came back to bite him, as his team were unable to cope with the Turkish giants' high-octane approach.
Dominik Szoboszlai, who played the full 90 minutes, was particularly poor on the night, and many supporters are now questioning whether he should continue starting at the heart of Liverpool's midfield moving forward.
Szoboszlai Was a Problem For Liverpool Against Fenerbahce and Arsenal
REUTERS/Phil Noble
Starting as Liverpool's number ten in Turkey, with Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister deployed in a double pivot behind him, Szoboszlai failed to provide any real value to Iraola's side.
His remit would've been to aid ball progression and create chances in the final third, and he certainly didn't fulfil these responsibilities. He finished the game having completed just five line-breaking passes and having created just two chances for his teammates, while he didn't make up for this with a goal threat, taking two speculative long shots throughout the 90 minutes.
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Szoboszlai's Statistics vs Fenerbahce
Minutes Played
Touches
Pass Accuracy
Line-Breaking Passes
Chances Created
Defensive Contributions
The Hungarian was similarly ineffective when he was introduced as a substitute against Arsenal on the weekend. Brought on in a period of Liverpool dominance, in the 59th minute, the Reds' second-half possession dropped from 74% before he came on to 50.9% after his introduction.
He also played just five line-breaking passes against the Gunners, compared to Nyoni's 19. Evidently, he is struggling to contribute to ball progression in the middle of the park, while he's also not the creative force he needs to be when deployed as a number ten.
Liverpool suffering when Szoboszlai is on the pitch has become a recurring theme this term. Back in September against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup, the free-kick specialist arrived on the hour mark, and his 30 minutes on the pitch coincided with the Merseysiders' worst spell of the game. Spurs had nine of their eleven shots on the night after the substitution, while the Reds had just five shots in this period.
Iraola needs to concoct a different role for last season's talismanic midfielder, with the current situation working for nobody.
Szoboszlai Needs a New Position
REUTERS/Phil Noble
At times last season, Arne Slot's solution to Liverpool's right-back issues was to use Szoboszlai as an emergency option in this position.
This was a makeshift measure that was used to make up for a serious deficiency elsewhere in the team, but it could prove to be more than that.
Szoboszlai looked comfortable at right-back. This role allowed him to invert into midfield at times, picking the ball up in areas where he's used to being in possession, whilst not holding Liverpool back with his lack of defensive awareness in the middle of the park, as there were always two others to cover him.
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The position also still enabled him to influence the game in the final third, but in the sorts of positions where he's most deadly. While he can sometimes struggle to create through intricate passing in and around the box, he's a consistently outstanding crosser, delivering the ball in a Trent Alexander-Arnold manner from the right-hand side.
Ronald Araujo might continue to be the preferred choice in the biggest of matches against the best teams, but in games where Liverpool need more offensive impetus, Szoboszlai is the answer at right-back.
While Liverpool discourse focuses on the dubious form of Bradley Barcola, it's actually their Hungarian playmaker who is causing them the most issues in the team's current structure.
PSG's Portuguese players celebrate after winning the 2025/26 Champions League
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