"Gets a bit boring after a while" - Craig Burley blasts Liverpool superstar after draw against Wolves
Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has been highly critical of Thiago Alcantara following Liverpool's FA Cup draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (January 7).
In an interview with ESPN, Burley stated that Thiago is a "bugbear" of his and that he was disappointed with the Spaniard's performance in the match.
“He’s a bugbear of mine, Thiago. I get it, he’s had some great success in his career. He’s a fantastic technician. But sometimes, just sometimes, that little fancy drop of the shoulder stuff and no-look passes and all that, it gets a bit boring after a while. You need to roll the sleeves up, particularly in the middle of the park.”
However, according to Whoscored, Thiago's defensive performance against Wolves at Anfield may not deserve all the criticism. The midfielder won six tackles and was dribbled past just once.
This was more than any other player on the field, and fellow Liverpool teammate Fabinho only won one challenge. This suggests that Thiago was more effective in midfield during the match than others, especially in terms of doing the hard work.
Tackles won by Liverpool’s midfielders vs Wolves:
Henderson - 0
Fabinho - 1
Elliott - 1
Keita - 1
Thiago - 6
Feels like Thiago is out there on his own at times. 😔
Thiago was not the only one to have a difficult time in the match against Wolves though. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker had a particularly rough game and was responsible for the away side's first goal.
There was also controversy when a goal by the visitors was ruled out for offside in the final minutes of the match. It could have potentially resulted in a victory for Wolves.
Liverpool 2-2 Wolves: Match report
On Saturday, Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers faced each other in a thrilling clash at Anfield. It ended in a 2-2 draw, requiring a replay at Molineux to determine the winner of the spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The visitors took the lead in the first half with a goal from Goncalo Guedes. He intercepted a pass from Liverpool's goalkeeper Alisson and scored into an empty net.
The Reds quickly responded by equalizing through Darwin Nunez's goal, assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Wolves take Liverpool back to Molineux 🤝 https://t.co/oaNTWCDDl9
They took the lead in the second half when Mohamed Salah scored a goal by breaking free inside the Wolves penalty area and hitting a shot into the far corner.
However, their defensive mistakes allowed the visitors to equalize when Hwang Hee-chan scored a goal past Alisson. Toti Gomes scored a goal for Wolves later on, but it was disallowed due to offside.