How Thiago Alcantara went from Liverpool struggles to spearheading quadruple push

If there was some frustrated emotion in Gary Neville's description of Liverpool's Thiago Alcantara, then there was also some truth.

After the midfield maestro orchestrated a total demolition of Manchester United at Anfield on Tuesday, the former Old Trafford favourite suggested he: "Took the f****** p*** out of the Red Devils on the pitch. That he was laughing at them."

A true professional, it is simply not in Thiago’s nature to wilfully taunt any opponent, but you get the point. What Neville was really saying is that the Liverpool star was simply on a different level, a different plane, in fact.

Thiago's talents are unlike any player in the United midfield. But they are something different to anything Liverpool have had before under Jurgen Klopp. It was a point the Reds boss was keen to make after that humiliation of United. “There are only a few players in the world who see things earlier than anyone else, and have the technical ability to not only see it but get the ball there as well,” he said of the midfielder.

'You don't have five millions players like Thiago on the planet. He is a special talent, and he is in a real rhythm for us now, which helps him with finding the right spaces, the right turns and the right passes. It was a top game from him, a world-class player who is dangerous with and without the ball, and now we only need to keep him fit.'

That is the key to Thiago finally emerging as the orchestrator to Liverpool’s magnificent ensemble. Injury and Covid disrupted his first season at Anfield, and even this year, he has struggled to find the consistency of games. Since suffering the tearful pain of missing out on the League Cup final after getting injured in the warm up, he has started seven of the