Ronald Araujo - Imago
Ronald Araujo - Imago
Liverpool supporters have taken to one of the summer’s arrivals remarkably quickly, and Jan Molby believes he knows exactly why, pointing to a quality that he feels has become surprisingly rare among defenders in the modern game.
The Reds legend shared his thoughts on LFCTV’s latest Preview Show, in comments that Chris Shaw relayed on the club’s official website, and his assessment centres on a player who has brought an old school appetite for the basics into Andoni Iraola’s back line at a time when the game rarely celebrates that side of defending.
Molby explained that the conversation around centre backs today tends to revolve around their passing range and their possession numbers, with supporters and analysts alike quick to judge defenders on how comfortable they look with the ball at their feet, which is exactly why the attitude of this particular newcomer has stood out so clearly at Anfield.
Ronald Araujo, the Uruguay international who joined on loan from FC Barcelona in August has now made 14 appearances for the club, with his performances earning him the Standard Chartered Player of the Month award for October this week.
According to Molby, Araujo had already achieved most of what the game can offer during his years at Barcelona, yet he arrived on Merseyside determined to make his priorities clear from the very first day, and the message he sent to everyone watching was that defending comes first for him and that he genuinely enjoys it.
Molby believes the contrast between Araujo and the more possession minded players around him has only strengthened the bond with supporters, who have recognised something refreshing in a defender who takes as much pride in a block or a tackle as others take in a raking pass, and he summed up the mood among fans by saying, “I think the fans have just gone, ‘He just loves defending.'”
There is something fitting about the praise coming from Molby, whose own career at Liverpool rested on his elegance and his range of passing, because his words suggest that even the most gifted footballers on the ball can appreciate a teammate whose first instinct is to stop the opposition from playing.
With Liverpool preparing to face Crystal Palace and a demanding Champions League trip to Club Brugge also on the horizon later this month, Iraola will want Araujo to keep bringing that same hunger into every contest, and the longer the Uruguayan keeps producing displays like those that earned him October’s award, the more supporters will start wondering whether his stay at Anfield can stretch beyond this season.
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