**Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is becoming a divisive figure, despite his quality, and he must not turn into the Reds’ version of Bruno Fernandes.**
Szoboszlai is an excellent footballer. Of that, there is no doubt.
He is a match-winner, as shown by some stunning goals in a Liverpool shirt, and he has an engine that is the envy of the vast majority of midfielders.
Last season, Szoboszlai was the shining light in a dire campaign at Anfield, and he is already being earmarked as a potential future captain.
So what is wrong with him then?
Well…he is starting to resemble Manchester United skipper Fernandes, and while being compared to the reigning Footballer of the Year should be a compliment, it isn’t fully.
For all of Fernandes’ undoubted elite quality on the ball, and ability to get an average United side over the line in games, he is also a hindrance without the masses noticing.
When things aren’t going his way, the arms start flailing; he tries to do too much himself, and his sprinting around the pitch is no good to anyone, displaying a lack of positional sense.
So often, Fernandes will mask a below-par performance with one moment of brilliance, and that is where Liverpool are at with Szoboszlai currently.
The Hungarian produced a poor cameo against Tottenham in the EFL Cup in midweek, for example, with Liverpool’s midfield struggling when he came on, before he scored a Goal of the Season contender.
It was an outrageous piece of quality that should never be taken away from him – he has an ever-growing list of stunners – but it also hid another frustrating display.
Not only that, but too often over the past 12 months, a side to Szoboszlai’s character has shone through that hasn’t endeared him to supporters, including THAT shrug to the away end during last season’s defeat at Manchester City.
He has clashed with fans during games at Anfield, too, and there is a flash side to his character that doesn’t endear you to a fanbase that values humility.
This isn’t to say that Szoboszlai is a rotten egg – that would be unfair – but he is still a problematic figure when it comes to fitting him into the team and giving Liverpool balance.
A double pivot of the 25-year-old and Ryan Gravenberch simply doesn’t work, while Florian Wirtz is being used in his preferred No.10, and should continue to be.
Fernandes has been a great player for United – their best since Alex Ferguson left – but they have never been close to resembling a great side with him in it.
Liverpool must make sure that the same doesn’t happen with Szoboszlai, fitting in a top-quality footballer but to the detriment of the entire team and system.
Those looking in from the outside may read this and wonder how on earth Szoboszlai is even close to being the problem, but that sums him up as a player, and Fernandes.
On highlight reels, he is one of the very best around, but if you watch him every minute of every match, you see a flawed footballer who feels expendable.
If Real Madrid or similar come calling at the end of this season, there may not be an almighty effort for Liverpool to keep Szoboszlai, and they could use the money on replacements who aren’t necessarily as eye-catching, but suit Andoni Iraola’s style more.