From hero to zero, as they say. Especially in football, it’s easy to go from one extreme to another. The latest victim of such extremes is Dominic Szoboslai.
Originally hailed as a fan favorite, he has recently been criticized by fans for what many consider to be “poor” performances.
But despite his poor form, Szoboszlai has started 19 of a possible 20 Premier League games for Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp keeping faith in the Hungarian midfielder.
Because there is much more to Soboslay than meets the eye. It may seem like you’ve lost weight recently, but the underlying data suggests otherwise.
Szoboslai fantasy
When a player arrives, fans sometimes seem to look at him through rose-colored glasses. Like an overzealous parent watching from the sidelines, applauding every bright moment and overlooking the little mistakes.
The reason why Szoboslai is loved by the fans is because he is Liverpool’s new signing. The fans were happy to see someone other than Jordan Henderson in the team.
But as time goes on, that news will fade and fans may stop looking at Szoboslay through the same rose-colored glasses.
Szoboslai Reality
In fact, Szoboslai’s performance didn’t change much between his first Premier League game and his last against Newcastle United. He continues to make a significant impact at key moments for Liverpool.
His progressive 30-metre drive against Newcastle flew under the radar as he darted into space to set up Liverpool’s first goal, but it was just as important as Luis Diaz’s pass, Darwin Nunez’s dismissal and the continuation of Mohamed Salah.
If the Hungarian had performed like this a few months ago, fans would have proudly shared the moment on social media and praised the club’s new number eight.
Apart from his long strike, Soboslay was one of Liverpool’s best players against Newcastle. He created the second most chances (3), made the second most recoveries (5), made the second most tackles in the middle (4) and lost (6) behind him Curtis Jones.
By these values, it deserves no criticism.
In many ways, Soboslay remains one of the premier midfielders in the Premier League. Among Premier League midfielders, he ranks in the top 10 for passes into the box (3.33 per 90), according to Wyscout.
He also has the best dribble completion percentage (68.75%) of any midfielder in the league, attempting at least two dribbles per 90 minutes. Only Rodri (2.6) and Bernardo (3.44) scored more progressively than the Hungarian Silva (2.57).
He ranks 11th among midfielders in expected assists per 90 (0.4) and sixth in expected assists per 90 (0.19), again behind Bernardo Silva (0.20). He also has the fifth-most tackles in the league among midfielders (73), according to FBref.
He also ranks eighth among his position mates in passing yards (115). In defense, Szoboslai ranks 5th in the league (127). He also ranks 9th in defensive tackle success percentage (59.24%) among midfielders who make at least 7.5 defensive tackles per 90.
By whatever standard you measure the Hungarian, Szoboslai has found himself in the top half of the Premier League this season. Until then he had been nothing but a machine for Liverpool. He may not have contributed as much offensively as many had hoped, but he did score six goals.
In addition, he has taken the most penalties in the Premier League this season twice while playing for Liverpool. With Szoboszlai scoring 23 goals for RB Leipzig last season, there were naturally expectations for him to do the same.But this is not true. In Klopp’s system, Szoboszlei is not given the reins of attack as he was at Leipzig.
He is a cog in the machine that ensures the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah produce their best football and the system works flawlessly. It is no coincidence that both Salah and Alexander-Arnold are back to their best and Liverpool have made the most of what Szoboszlai has done in recent seasons since joining the club.
Injury
Sometimes you only realize what you have after it’s gone. With Soboslay, it is now very important for Liverpool.At the time of writing, his hamstring injury has yet to be determined, but he is expected to be out for several weeks. Given how important his key numbers are in this Liverpool system, his true value can only be realized now.
That is if he isn’t there to make everything work.Fortunately, Klopp has other options to fill in when Szoboszlay is out, but so far none of the other options have been able to replicate what the Hungarian does and the energy he brings to Red when he’s on the pitch.
Now is the time to set the record straight. Soboslay does not struggle on the field. He is still improving. It’s been that way since the first day he opened the doors at Anfield.
