LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Thiago Alcantara of Liverpool is marked by Aleksandar Mitrovic of Fulham during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Liverpool FC at Craven Cottage on August 06, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

When Liverpool signed Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020 the fans were sold a beautiful dream. Here was a world class footballer with the vision and technical ability to unlock deep block defences with the swivel of his hips and a passing range that was unmatched in the world game.

However, with just four assists and two goals in the Premier League over a three yea,r injury ravaged spell I think it’s time to admit that the dream being pushed never came to fruition. Yes, Thiago looks slick at times and yes, he upped his work rate from his time at other clubs, but he never fully lived up to the creative maestro tag that Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were hoping for.

There will be those that say Thiago is a Rolls Royce being driven like Range Rover meaning the system never fully suited his naturally abilities. But seeing what Trent Alexander-Arnold has produced in recent weeks playing a similar role I fully believe it’s time to cash in on the Spaniard and put the money elsewhere.

Trent was immense once again playing his hybrid midfield role as Liverpool dispatched of Brentford 1-0 for their sixth win on the trot. His vision, speed of play and accuracy of passing was at the centre of everything good the reds produced and is exactly what we all hoped Thiago would bring to the team. He should have had his seventh assist in as many games when he pulled out the pitching wedge and found Darwin Nunez in Brentford’s penalty area but the Uruguayan striker continued his miserable run in front of goal and failed to make any significant contact.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MAY 6: Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on May 6, 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

Mo Salah did manage to poke the ball home though for his 186th in a red shirt and in doing so became the first Liverpool play to score in nine home games in row while equalling Steven Gerrard’s total goals tally. It certainly wasn’t his cleanest strike but they all count and it was enough to see Jurgen Klopp’s men move within one point of fourth place Manchester Utd.

Making top four is still a tall order but if we can win the rest of our games then the pressure will be on United to grind out the final few points they need to secure Champions League football.

Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has highlighted Eddie Howe’s achievements with Newcastle United after ridiculing Sam Allardyce’s comments that no Premier League manager knew more about football than him.

The new Leeds United boss was quick to compare himself to the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp in his first press conference back in management on Wednesday morning since he left West Brom back in 2021.

And while the Whites boss has been on record claiming an anti-British sentiment around coaches in the Premier League, Carragher argues that Magpies supporters’ love for Howe and the work he’s done at St. James’ Park rubbishes that claim completely.

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“Allardyce has form for this, of course, often sounding like he deserves greater respect for his coaching achievements,” Carragher wrote for the Telegraph.

“‘I won’t ever be going to a top-four club because I’m not called ‘Allardici’, just Allardyce,’ he famously said while West Ham manager.

“Allardyce managed huge clubs at Newcastle United and Everton. The supporters at St James’ Park and Goodison Park did not like or want his style.

“That had nothing to do with an anti-British sentiment. You only have to see how well-received Eddie Howe has been in the north east playing a modern, progressive style to recognise that.

“In fact, the argument about British coaches being denied top four chances has dated poorly. The problem for Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, David Moyes at Manchester United, and Graham Potter and Frank Lampard at Chelsea is they proved to be less effective as their overseas predecessors or successors.”

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Thomas Frank reveals what annoyed him in Liverpool loss amid Alisson ‘time-wasting’ claim

Liverpool earned a 1-0 victory over Brentford in the Premier League.

Thomas Frank reckons Brentford deserved a point in their loss to Liverpool an Anfield.

The Reds picked up a sixth successive victory courtesy of Mo Salah’s 13th-minute goal. Brenford enjoyed spells where they threatened Jurgen Klopp’s side but struggled to create any real clear-cut chances.

Brentford remain 10th in the Premier League – well above a club of their stature are expected to finish with just three matches to play.

But Frank felt that his side could have been better against Liverpool in the attacking areas to get something from the game. The Bees head coach said: “We in many ways performed well enough to get something from this game. Besides one thing, I’ll come back to that, I’m very happy with the performance.

“I think we started well in the first half – they had the goal and the [Darwin] Nunez [chance]. The goal we could have done better in a few situations, the second phase of a set-piece. Besides that, we got better and better throughout the game and our high pressure was really good. It frustrated and caused problems and created some chances from winning it high.

“We were brave because they are the team that have the most pace but were willing to take that risk then we have the marginal offside goal to Bryan Mbeumo that could have changed the game.

When [Virgil] van Dijk, [Ibrahima] Konate and Fabinho – their three defensive players get a yellow – we have done something right and a yellow card for Alisson [Becker] for time-wasting at Anfield.

A lot of positives and the final bit we missed was the last quality in the cross or passing to create bigger chances. On another day, the delivery we put have put in the box could have created the chances for a goal so overall satisfied but disappointed we lost.

Asked what Frank was annoyed about he replied: “Quality for the final cross or sliding ball for a bigger chance. Maybe the difference in the two teams’ squads. [Cody] Gakpo, [Mo] Salah, [Darwin] Nunez, [Luis] Diaz – decent front-four players maybe.