Stefan Bajčetić's rise may have saved Liverpool's season. Have the Reds finally found a replacement for a key midfielder they lost in 2021?
- Published before Newcastle 0-2 Liverpool
“Since (he) started playing with us, he's our best player, maybe. Hopefully he stays with that confidence and just keeps going."
Mohamed Salah was sure to direct all of the praise the way of Stefan Bajčetić following Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Everton on Monday night.
The 18-year-old was deployed in an unfamiliar role by Jurgen Klopp at Anfield as he filled in for the injured Thiago Alcantara on the left side of a midfield three, yet still managed to impress in what was arguably his best outing for the Reds.
Stefan Bajčetić: Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum replacement in the making? ⭐️#LFC pic.twitter.com/D4Pr07QQxj
— Sporting Life Football & Infogol (@InfogolApp) February 20, 2023
Analysis: Wijnaldum replacement 18 months late
Sporting Life football expert Tom Carnduff
The early performances of Stefan Bajčetić are showing Liverpool were right to hold off spending big on a midfielder in January.
His ability to adapt to various positions makes him a strong option to Jurgen Klopp, and he could well be the closest thing to the underrated Georginio Wijnaldum since his departure from the club in 2021.
Granted we’re dealing with a smaller sample size, but the comparisons are there with Wijnaldum in his final season at Anfield.
There are similarities in major attacking midfield averages, such as shots, successful take-ons, and xG returns, although the defensive numbers favour Bajčetić during this short spell in the team.
That’s not overly surprising when we consider his experience as a centre-back. Tackles won, interceptions and blocks all further highlight what he’ll bring to Liverpool’s midfield.
Factor in that Wijnaldum took up a more defensive role in his latter stages at the club too and it’s easy to see how Bajčetić can finally be his replacement.
In what was his fifth successive start for the Reds and his third in the Premier League, the 18-year-old looked like a seasoned veteran in the Merseyside derby – a game with huge pressure considering the form and positions of both sides. That coming after his goal against Aston Villa made him the club’s third-youngest scorer in the Premier League.
The desire for a midfielder in January was correct, although perhaps the Reds already had the answer within their ranks.
Brilliant Bajčetić
Jurgen Klopp even made a reference to this in his post-match press conference.
“We put him [Bajčetić] in a new position; you have to ask him actually, I don’t think he ever played the position before. He came here as a kid as a centre-half, played now the six for us in a few games and tonight as an eight and in a lot of moments a double-six, did extremely well. It was quite a good performance, to be honest.”
In what was his fifth successive start for the Reds and his third in the Premier League, the 18-year-old looked like a seasoned veteran in the Merseyside derby. Bajčetić may have previously been used as the anchor in midfield, the deepest of the three in place of Fabinho, but he looked right at home on the left side.
He was the only midfielder to retain his place in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI following the 3-0 loss to Wolves. Thiago was ruled out with a hip injury while Naby Keita was dropped to the bench to make way for the returning Jordan Henderson and the man he had previously replaced in the team, Fabinho.
Heading into the game, the talk was how Everton’s midfield three of Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Amadou Onana would be too much to handle for the lacklustre Reds following their impressive showing against Arsenal.
Bajčetić was more than up for the middle-third battle though. He recovered the ball on five occasions, made two interceptions, won all of his aerial duels and was involved in 11 ground duels.
He was also fairly progressive in possession, completing 50% of his dribbles and 50% of the long passes he attempted. He also finished with a pass success rate of 77% in general having also created two chances on the night in what was a Player of the Match performance.
Stefan Bajcetic v Everton:
— Sporting Life Football & Infogol (@InfogolApp) February 13, 2023
89 mins played
51 touches
26 acc. passes
2 key passes
1 shot on target
5 duels won
2 tackles
1 clearance
Player of the Match ⭐️
On his second PL start at Anfield.
And still just 18 years old.
Brilliant performance in Liverpool's midfield.#LIVEVE pic.twitter.com/ql5TT4NMAe
Youngster undroppable
It caps off what has been a meteoric rise this season. Bajčetić only moved to Merseyside in December 2020. According to reports, the Reds pipped rivals Manchester United to the youngster's signature, agreeing to pay Celta Vigo £224,000 for his signature.
He was part of the pre-season team and his cameos in midfield caught the eye. However, few envisaged him having such a transformative impact on this Liverpool team this season.
With players out of form and the Reds resisting the urge to delve into the transfer market in January, Bajčetić was given the opportunity and he’s made sure to take full advantage.
There have been reports that claim Thiago has mentored Bajčetić - their fathers Mazinho and Srdan Bajčetić played together at Celta - and acclimatisation to the first-team squad has been eased by a closely-knit Spanish-speaking group also featuring Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Milner.
He penned a new long-term deal in January and given Liverpool’s track record of re-upping deals every few months to reward their youngsters, it would not be a surprise to see him getting improved terms this summer.
All-round game looks solid
The club would be smart to do so. Having filled in for Fabinho, he stepped into the shoes of Thiago against Everton and did not look out of place. Though he played the role differently, with the Liverpool No6 acting as a controller when he’s on the left of a three, Bajčetić was more of a Gini Wijnaldum in the sense he wasn’t as involved but his actions benefited the team.
The No43 was responsible for just 6% of the total passes attempted by the Reds on the night, significantly down on the 12% Thiago was responsible for in the loss to Wolves. Bajčetić 's average was much more in line with Wijnaldum’s (7%) and this did change the dynamic.
With the midfielders not having as much of the possession, the full-backs were much more involved. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson were responsible for 28% of the team’s passes against Everton, up from the 20% against Wolves. Bajčetić facilitated that. But he was much more progressive in his approach when he was in possession. Whereas Wijnaldum would keep it simple, the Vigo-born midfielder was looking to get the ball into the final third.
Bajčetić seemed to take what was good about both Wijnaldum and Thiago when playing on the left for Liverpool and combine it. He balanced out their styles and this in turn saw the Reds look much more balanced than they have this season.
Bajčetić moved ahead of young teammates
This could well be why he got the nod in midfield ahead of Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho.
In games earlier this season, Klopp shuffled Henderson to the left (a role he isn’t comfortable in) to accommodate Elliott on the right and that could’ve been an option against the Toffees. He could’ve given Carvalho an opportunity given the German tactician did say he thought the former Fulham youngster could play as a No8.
Carvalho has struggled to make an impact, though many of the reasons why are outside of his control, while Elliott, as brilliant as he is in possession, isn’t quite as switched on defensively just yet and it creates gaps in this team. It also puts extra pressure on others such as Alexander-Arnold and Salah. Something witnessed a number of times earlier in the campaign. Some midfielders hinder others, not intentionally, while Bajčetić seems to unburden those around him.
Bajčetić might not be as good as either of Elliott or Carvalho in the final third but he’s much better in the defensive and middle thirds. His lack of attacking threat isn’t important when you have the likes of Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo in attack.
Spaniard improves the team
Liverpool needed someone to give them a solid platform and he, alongside Fabinho, did that.
An easy option would’ve also been to use one of Keita or James Milner in a midfield three. They have played that role multiple times but both are set to depart at the end of the season. So why give them those opportunities when Bajčetić can influence the now and the future?
And what message would that send out if Klopp dropped the youngster? Bajčetić has been the most consistent performer since his introduction into the starting XI and has done nothing to warrant being dropped. Furthermore, if the Reds do see him as a potential diamond, why not put him under pressure?
The feeling was that Liverpool needed one midfielder in January to help salvage their campaign. It looks as though people were right to feel that way, with Bajčetić proving to be that game-changing midfielder. The Reds need to carefully manage his minutes but the role in Klopp’s first-team plans is his to lose.
Analysis: Wijnaldum replacement 18 months late
Sporting Life football expert Tom Carnduff
The performances of Stefan Bajčetić are showing, in the early stages at least, that Liverpool were right to hold off spending big on a midfielder in January.
His ability to adapt to various positions makes him a strong option to Jurgen Klopp, and he could well be the closest thing to the underrated Georginio Wijnaldum since his departure from the club in 2021.
Granted we’re dealing with a smaller sample size, but the comparisons are there with Wijnaldum in his final season at Anfield.
There are similarities in major attacking midfield averages, such as shots, successful take-ons, and xG returns, although the defensive numbers favour Bajčetić during this short spell in the team.
That’s not overly surprising when we consider his experience as a centre-back. Tackles won, interceptions and blocks all further highlight what he’ll bring to Liverpool’s midfield.
Factor in that Wijnaldum took up a more defensive role in his latter stages at the club too and it’s easy to see how Bajčetić can finally be his replacement.
In what was his fifth successive start for the Reds and his third in the Premier League, the 18-year-old looked like a seasoned veteran in the Merseyside derby – a game with huge pressure considering the form and positions of both sides.
That coming after his goal against Aston Villa made him the club’s third-youngest scorer in the Premier League.The desire for a midfielder in January was correct, although perhaps the Reds already had the answer within their ranks. That said, they do need to be careful of managing his game time at this early stage of his career.
With expected departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the summer, and the aging core of the other options available at Anfield, Bajčetić should be a key name included in the upcoming midfield rebuild.
