How to Relax by Martín Zubimendi

Why are Liverpool targeting Martín Zubimendi as their first addition of the Arne Slot era?

So after much deliberation, I’ve decided to take a risk here. Today’s post was either going to be on Martín Zubimendi, or alternatives to Martín Zubimendi because the player has decided to remain in his homeland.

We still don’t know what’s happening yet, and it’s entirely possible this post will be out of date by the time you sit down to read it, but welcome to the world of content. My hands are tied.

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Right, Zubimendi, then. You wanted a new number six, you got (hopefully) a new number six. But how good is the Spaniard, and will Liverpool improve by adding him to their squad?

Finally, we get to talk about a transfer that is actually real. The year that I launched my Substack will also go down as the year in which every single club in Europe’s big five leagues signed a player before Liverpool did.

*sigh*

It’s been a long wait, but it looks like we’ve made it. This post will act as a bit of a scouting report of sorts. I’m not going to get carried away by suggesting he’s generational. And I’m not going to tell you he’s terrible, either. I’ll just say what I see, as always.

Supporters tend to focus on the good when their club buys a new player. I get it, and I prefer that mindset in comparison to the other extreme, but the reality is often somewhere in between. There are always pros and cons. You compromise when you decide to sign a player. It’s a trade-off.

With transfer content, you also tend to see a lot of isolated analysis of the player, without enough consideration dedicated to whether he’s actually right for the team chasing his signature. Lionel Messi is good. He would not be as good under Sean Dyche.

Alright, enough talk. Let’s have a look.

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So during pre-season under Arne Slot, Liverpool have been working on two major things in comparison to the previous regime. Lots of tweaks have been enforced, but two in particular have been more glaringly obvious.

1. The idea of patience in possession

2. The commitment to building through the thirds from the goalkeeper

Tyler Morton described the new approach as a ‘midfielder’s dream’ in a recent interview, Curtis Jones labelled the engine room as the new ‘heart’ of the team, and Conor Bradley said ‘more structure in the build-up phase’ when asked about the main difference between Slot and his predecessor.

After being taught how to thrive in a game of basketball under Jürgen Klopp, the Reds are now getting to grips with quite a serene version of football, learning how to use possession to travel from A to B as a collective unit.

During Liverpool’s tour of the US, Slot tested a number of different players in his midfield two, including Jones, Morton, Ryan Gravenberch, Trey Nyoni, Dominik Szoboszlai and Stefan Bajčetić. They all performed fine. But fine isn’t good enough for Liverpool.

None of those players flew home from America with more than a 6/10 in my book. Perhaps Nyoni, but he’s too young to be the answer just yet. As a result, the Reds struggled with the first phase in all three of their friendlies.

Liverpool didn’t really concede any goals from their attempts to build from the back, but they could have realistically conceded about five times in another universe, with much of the issue stemming from a distinct lack of expertise.

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This is where Zubimendi comes in. He would join the squad as a natural solution. Remember Slot’s two major changes that I mentioned earlier in this post? Yeah, well Zubimendi doesn’t need to go back to school like the rest of his teammates on Merseyside, no. He’s experienced enough to teach the class.

The Spaniard is a true number six. When he’s building from the back, he’s at ease. It’s just normal for him. You can tell he’s done it before. Sometimes, the experience that Roy Keane references all the time does count for something.

And when he’s in possession of the ball, he’s very much in control. This guy doesn’t play football like the world is due to end in the next five minutes. He plays the game while sipping a cocktail.

Check the clip below. It illustrates what Slot has been trying to install since taking charge. Zubimendi pauses in possession, waits for an opponent to press him, and then passes the ball into the space that has emerged. No stress.