With Stefan Bajcetic sidelined for most of 2023 as he grows into his body, Leo Rutherford explores exactly what he can offer when he returns to Liverpool.
In a season that was turbulent at best for Liverpool last time out, a silver lining was discovered through the unprecedented development of a potential superstar.
Stefan Bajcetic could have been learning his trade in the red half of Manchester if not for fears that post-Brexit visa rules would complicate the transfer.
Instead, Liverpool pounced on the then 17-year-old Celta Vigo centre-back for a paltry £224,000, in one of the club’s best deals in recent times.
The teenager impressed greatly in the academy as a central defender and midfielder with technical ball confidence beyond his youth, earning himself a regular role in the UEFA Youth League campaign at just 17 years old.
However, outside of Kirkby’s coaches and those associated with the academy, not many would have foreseen the Spaniard’s rise to the world stage as the Reds’ new emerging star in midfield.
putting on the brakes
Hailed by Mohamed Salah as the team’s “best player” amid his spectacular career with the team, and “an intelligent boy, a really good player” by his coach, Bajcetic took little time to put his name in the spotlight and improve. an underperforming midfield.
Five months into the current campaign, the No. 43’s only start so far came in September’s away win at LASK, where he played predominantly at right-back until a tactical change was made mid-game.
Frustratingly, an ongoing calf problem and rehabilitation program commitments relating to his growth have halted his stellar first-team progress, as Jurgen Klopp reaffirmed the need to “put on the brakes” as a precautionary measure.
As with the absent Thiago, there is little information on the possible timetable for the 19-year-old’s return, but Liverpool fans will be expectant and excited to welcome Bajcetic in the New Year.
The midfield dynamic, however, has changed noticeably since he last left the field last season in the March defeat to Bournemouth.
The positions of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have been shared by newcomers Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai, and while there is still plenty of room for improvement, Liverpool have a solid set of options in the middle of the park.
What can Bajcetic offer Liverpool 2.0?
What can Bajcetic contribute to this reformed team that seriously aspires to the title? A little bit of everything, really.
The Man of the Match performance in his first appearance in the Merseyside derby in February reaffirmed his devotion to a complete game: two chances created, 76 per cent passing accuracy, 100 per cent success in aerial duels, seven tackles attempted and a clearance.
Despite not being physically developed and being somewhat fresh out of youth football, Bajcetic shows play-breaking aggression while maintaining a strong read of the game on and off the ball.
Bajcetic’s current program in the gym and his ability to maneuver in tight spaces would indicate the Reds’ desire to turn the Spanish youth international into a sort of Gini Wijnaldum 2.0.
At his peak, contributing hugely to Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League success, Wijnaldum was a physical machine, with an uncanny ability to quickly regain possession while also being a force on the attacking end.
The currently absent 19-year-old attracted these glowing comparisons to the former fan favorite with his trademark half-turn when receiving the ball under pressure from Alisson or a centre-half.
Cody Gakpo reaped the rewards of this in last winter’s victory at Newcastle, when the teenager fooled Sean Longstaff in the build-up to Liverpool’s second goal to create 30 yards of open space to advance.
Last season, this provided a welcome boost to a predictable and out-of-tune team, as Fabinho, in physical decline, showed a loss of ability in the first phase of the game that would prove fatal.
* Stefan Bajcetic 2022/23 vs. Gini Wijnaldum 2019/20, Squawka Comparison Matrix
The sample size for the former is undoubtedly premature, with just 527 minutes of Premier League football under his belt and just over 1,000 in all competitions since his academy call-up.
However, the tools and maturity he possesses cannot be discounted as Liverpool continue to look for solutions to a vulnerability in defensive transitions.
Overall, Bajcetic’s limited minutes data compares well to the player profile that Klopp and Co. would seem to be striving to transform him into, reinforcing the belief among many that he was Liverpool’s best performing midfielder during its three-month period. in the team.
“I love tackling. I love tackles!” he excitedly exclaimed in his post-match interview after a tremendous defensive display against Everton, and the fierce side of Bajcetic’s game certainly prevails.
In a Liverpool shirt, he boasts a hugely impressive statistic of a 100 per cent success rate in sliding tackles, with all seven recovering the ball for his team.
The ability to fly across the surface and make perfect tackles is not only invaluable in resisting pressure, it is also contagious for Klopp and the Anfield crowd; A 20-yard chase with Wolves’ Matheus Nunes before knocking the ball from his feet received a standing ovation from the home crowd last year.
This version of Klopp’s Liverpool possesses a renewed energy and hunger to win duels and regain possession immediately, and the return of an animated and determined Bajcetic would only enhance this.
the missing piece
In the summer, the Reds were reported to have been active in negotiations for several months over a move for Southampton’s dynamic Romeo Lavia, until Chelsea swooped in to secure a £53m deal.
The young Belgian has an electrifying talent on the ball and, honestly, could have turned out to be the missing piece in the ‘Liverpool 2.0’ puzzle.
However, Lavia’s deep injury concerns since arriving at Stamford Bridge have done little to demonstrate that the Reds would have been better off with his services, and the logic of possessing two exceptionally talented young midfielders with the same age profile, in the same role. , is practically non-existent.
* Comparison of Stefan Bajcetic 2022/23 vs. Romeo Lavia 2022/23 – Created with the DataMB tool
As visualized above, Lavia held a narrow lead on the defensive end in last season’s performance, but the emerging talent already on Liverpool’s books demonstrated a greater ability to progress through the game than many of the names listed. He said they were on his summer shopping list.
Even in a somewhat unfamiliar position, at least at first-team level, Bajcetic showed his passing range from an inverted right-back position in the Europa League group opener, completing seven of nine long passes, including a few switches. useful diagonals.
From boy to man
Liverpool are certainly not short of effective ball carriers in their ranks this season, with Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and even Endo, but another certainly wouldn’t hurt as Klopp’s men look to keep fighting. four fronts.
Bajcetic may not come to mind first when reliving March’s 7-0 thrashing of Man United, but in just 15 minutes off the bench, he completed the most dribbles of anyone on the pitch, including the notable one against Bruno Fernandes on the touchline.
A lot has changed in his time on the sidelines, but not least for himself, as Bajcetic appears to have exploded from his 6’1″ frame and bulked up.
The designs on his role may also have worked, with the youngster tested in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hybrid right-back role against Leicester and LASK this season.
The moment Bajcetic steps onto the Anfield pitch for the first time in at least 10 months will no doubt be special and will hopefully be a case of picking up where we left off in the development of a charming footballer with the world at his feet.
*This is a guest article for This Is Anfield by Leo Rutherford. Follow Leo on Twitter @leor61_. To submit an article for consideration, please contact [email protected].
