Shaqiri the Powercube has proved doubters wrong but theres more to come

June 03, 2024

Xherdan Shaqiri found himself under fire before he had even pulled on a Liverpool shirt.

Former team-mates and pundits were queuing up a year ago to tell Jurgen Klopp that he had made a big mistake by taking the little Swiss attacker to Anfield.

Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam, who was also part of the Potters side relegated from the Premier League in 2018, labelled Shaqiri “a so-called big player who never turned up”. The Neville brothers also waded in – Gary labelling him “unprofessional” and Phil branding him “a disgrace”. A picture had been painted of a player who was only interested in himself and not prepared to either put the hard yards in or show stomach for the fight.

Senior Liverpool players weren’t sure what to expect when Shaqiri first met up with the squad in New Jersey during the pre-season tour of the States after completing the formalities of his move to Anfield. But they quickly came to realise that the perception of him was very different from the reality.

Shaqiri, nicknamed the ‘Powercube’, made a big impression on his team-mates as he knuckled down and bought completely into the team ethic Klopp had created. Confident but not arrogant, a joker but only when the time was right. His quality quickly shone through. His set pieces were clearly going to be a major asset.

The settling-in process was helped by the fact he knew Liverpool’s head of fitness and conditioning Andreas Kornmayer and head of nutrition Mona Nemmer from their time together at Bayern Munich. They remain close.

The stinging criticism of Shaqiri always seemed extreme considering he was Stoke’s top scorer with eight league goals and contributed the most assists when they went down. He felt like he had been made a scapegoat for a team in disarray. After all, there’s only so much you can do when surrounded by such mediocrity.

But there was also a realisation on his part that he simply had to raise the bar and grasp the opportunity Klopp had given him after seeing a career that promised so much go off the rails. From Bundesliga and Champions League glory at Bayern Munich to relegation with Stoke via an unsuccessful short stint at Inter Milan.

Shaqiri certainly contributed sufficiently during his first season at Liverpool to justify Klopp’s claim last summer that triggering his £12.5 million release clause was “a no-brainer”. Many Kopites would argue he paid that fee back in one chunk with his match-winning double off the bench against Manchester United at Anfield in December.

That wand of a left foot also created a last-minute winner for Divock Origi at Newcastle in May – three days before another pin-point delivery was nodded home by Gini Wijnaldum in the miraculous 4-0 triumph over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. In total, Shaqiri chipped in with six goals and five assists.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing for the 27-year-old, who found himself on the bench for long periods. He made just 15 starts in all competitions with a further 15 outings as a substitute.

Between February 5 and April 25, Shaqiri played for only 21 minutes. Despite his late-season flourish, he didn’t come on in the Champions League final victory over Tottenham.

Why didn’t a player of such natural talent feature more? It came down to tactics and systems rather than any reflection on the player’s attitude or his relationship with the manager, which remains strong.

The challenge facing Shaqiri was clear on his full debut against Southampton last September. He dazzled in the first half after Klopp had changed the system to 4-2-3-1 to accommodate him in a central role behind Mo Salah, with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane operating either side of him.

Liverpool led 3-0 and Shaqiri created two of the goals but he was taken off at the break. Klopp believed his side were too open; too susceptible to the counterattack. He brought on James Milner and switched back to 4-3-3.

Klopp wasn’t in any doubt about what Shaqiri could offer on the ball but it was his work off it and his positional play that needed to improve. It was a constant theme during their discussions. It proved to be a learning curve for the player.

When Shaqiri tracked back, won possession and created the opening goal against Red Star Belgrade in October, Klopp joked: “That was probably the first counter-press situation of Shaq’s life! I don’t want to make him a defender but you have to do a job.”

With the manager largely favouring stability, control and discipline in a three-man midfield, Shaqiri effectively found himself competing with Mane, Salah and Firmino for a place in the front three. Their durability – coupled with the number of goals – ensured that he had to be patient.

In the new year, the resurgence of Origi, who offered Klopp greater athleticism out wide, saw Shaqiri drop further down the pecking order. But he didn’t rock the boat, he didn’t kick up a fuss. Instead he took on board Klopp’s lengthy lectures about using his time on the training ground wisely.

When Salah suffered a head injury at St James’ Park, Liverpool’s season was in danger of crumbling. But Shaqiri was ready and waiting – delivering the goods against both Newcastle and Barcelona. Not featuring in Madrid didn’t dent his joy at being part of such an historic achievement.

“I would describe it as a beautiful year for me,” he told The Athletic at Wembley following Sunday’s Community Shield. “Winning the Champions League was unbelievable and I felt like an important part of it. I played a lot of games, especially in the first half of the season, and I had a big impact.

“For a first year at a new club, I was really happy. OK, in the second half of the season I didn’t play as much as I would have liked but that’s football.

“You have to accept the decisions made by the coach and concentrate on showing him what you can do in training. I have to work really hard and try to make it very difficult for the coach to leave me out.”

Klopp is convinced there’s more, much more to come from Shaqiri this season. It’s one of the main reasons why the manager decided not to bolster his attacking options in the transfer market. Salah, Mane and Firmino will need a breather at times considering their workload over the past 12 months, coupled with the schedule the European champions are facing across six fronts.

Shaqiri, who has overcome the calf injury that forced him to miss the pre-season tour of America, believes he’s better placed to deliver consistently this term.

“I’m not surprised we haven’t signed many players,” he said. “We showed how strong this squad is last year when we beat Barcelona 4-0 without Mo and Roberto. Just look at our bench at Wembley. We are in good shape.

“I feel good and ready to have a big impact. The coach speaks a lot with us and I know what he expects from me. I am used to the style now.

“It’s about giving everything every day to try to be successful. That’s been the important message. The story of last season is closed. I want to win more titles with Liverpool. We go again.”

Shaqiri is too gifted to be consigned to a bit-part role. He has proved those who doubted him before he arrived at Liverpool wrong but he’s still some way from fulfilling his true potential.

The stage is set for Shaqiri to kick on.

(Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

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