We hear the phrase ‘underrated’ a lot and I myself would be the first to admit that like many, I use it perhaps too often. What is underrated?
Source: liverpoolfc.com
To me, an underrated player is one whose achievements, qualities or importance are not recognised as they should be. It is important, I think, to make a distinction between underrated and underappreciated. I consider an underappreciated player to be someone who doesn’t get the love, adoration or affection that they deserve. This ruled out Daniel Sturridge, who I think everyone knew was a sublimely talented player, but certainly didn’t get the fondness he earned for five and a half years of goalscoring exploits – he never even got a proper song. No, this is purely looking for underrated players, a different concept to underappreciated. So, a team of underrated Liverpool players past and present. Before I start, please remember that I am including players in this team if I think their contributions or abilities are not recognised, or thought of inaccurately, among Liverpool fans. I’m deploying a classic 4-4-2 formation to include all the players I want. Let’s begin…
GK – Simon Mignolet
Mignolet played 204 games for the club, was key in the excellent 2013/14 season and was one of few positives in the terrible 2014/15 season. He kept six clean sheets on the way to the 2016 Europa League final and played a major part in Liverpool making the League Cup final too – helping win a penalty shootout in the semis with a spot-kick save. The Reds secured a top four place in 2016/17 and Mignolet was key, notching four clean sheets in the final games of the season, as well as a heroic performance away at Stoke. A goalkeeper whose good games outnumbered his poor ones. A master of penalties too, saving 12 of the 23 he faced.
RB – Alvaro Arbeloa
Signed by Rafael Benitez in 2006, Arbeloa struggled for gametime in his first season until he was called on for one of the biggest games of the season – Barcelona away in the Champions League last 16. The manager confused everyone by deploying Arbeloa at left-back, a position he had not played before. This turned out to be a masterstroke as Arbeloa put in a superb showing and did not allow Lionel Messi to have any influence. Arbeloa was a mainstay at right-back for the next two seasons before leaving the club with 98 appearances under his belt. He then spent seven years at Real Madrid, also playing every minute of Spain’s Euro 2012 success.
CB – Kolo Toure
Kolo Toure is thought of as well past his best at Liverpool and the less talented brother of Yaya. Brought in on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2013 as a backup, no-one expected him to play 20 Premier League games in his first season as Liverpool came agonisingly close to the title. He was less involved in 2014/15 but was influential in the Reds making two finals in 2015/16 and was the only Liverpool player who came out of the Europa League final loss to Sevilla with any credit in his last appearance. A defender who brought calm and composure to the defence as well as a wealth of experience.
CB – Daniel Agger
Agger was calm, composed, elegant on the ball, strong and possessed all the attributes of a top centre-back in the modern game (he also had a Champions League semi-final goal in 2007). Injuries prevented him from making more appearances than 232 by the time he left in 2014. Tellingly, Agger wasn’t involved in the games where the 2013/14 title was lost – the City defeat, the Chelsea loss, the Palace debacle, the losses against Hull and Arsenal. A wonderful servant to the club, Agger was similar to Virgil Van Dijk in much of his style. It wasn’t really until he left that it became clear how good he was, though.
LB – Fabio Aurelio
134 appearances for the Brazilian at Liverpool, scoring 4 goals and registering 16 assists. His technical ability was outstanding for a left-back and he is perhaps best remembered for two free-kicks: a brilliant strike at Old Trafford in a 4-1 win in 2009 and his famous disguised shot against Chelsea in the Champions League in 2010, which caught everyone out. These moments of brilliance should ensure he is fondly remembered, with a tinge of disappointment at what could have been, if he hadn’t picked up so many knocks.
RM – Maxi Rodriguez
Argentinian forward Maxi Rodriguez knew how to pop up with a big goal – he scored 17 in total, very good for a player who had a bit-part role and made 73 appearances. Maxi scored ten Premier League goals in 28 games in 2010/11, including a spurt of seven in the space of two weeks – hat-tricks against Birmingham and Fulham and a strike against Newcastle. In his final season, he notched important goals in wins over Chelsea – both league and cup, as well as a brace at Blackburn. I feel it was a mistake for Brendan Rodgers to discard him so soon after becoming manager, he still had plenty to offer.
CM – Jamie Redknapp
Redknapp’s inclusion is based on not hearing much about him when the best Liverpool players of the Premier League era are being discussed. 308 games for the club is very impressive though and after making his debut in 1991, when he became the youngest player to play for Liverpool in Europe, he lasted eleven years before leaving in 2002. His passing, set pieces and ability to control the midfield area made him a mainstay of the team, and he was appointed captain in 1999, though sadly only wore the armband 44 times, as injury kept him out of action for much of the next three years, including the entire 2001 treble campaign.
CM – Boudewijn Zenden
One of the best cases of ‘what could have been’. Zenden was signed by Rafael Benitez in 2005 after an outstanding two seasons with Middlesbrough. Ultimately, that is the same amount of time he spent at Liverpool after injuries curtailed his progress – he was kept out of the 2005 Club World Cup in Japan and the 2006 FA Cup Final with separate injuries. He still played a big part when he was available, though. Benitez trusted Zenden with the big games – 20 of his 47 Liverpool appearances came in the Champions League. Quality player who was unlucky not to make a bigger impact.
LM – Yossi Benayoun
The undisputed captain of this team. It’s borderline illegal how underrated Yossi Benayoun is. The winger averaged a goal or assist at a rate better than one in two games across his three seasons at Liverpool, and had an eye for a big goal too: the winner at Real Madrid in 2009, a brace (including a very late equaliser) in the famous 4-4 draw with Arsenal, a huge injury-time winner at Fulham to put the Reds top of the league, a hat-trick in the 8-0 demolition of Besiktas (still a Champions League record) and one in the 2010 Europa League semi-final. A player with lovely trickery who was thoroughly enjoyable to watch, it’s a massive shame that he’s not recognised the way he should be. 29 goals and 19 assists, and three hat-tricks.
ST – Milan Baros
Milan Baros’ contribution to Liverpool is underplayed. He was the club’s top scorer in 2004/05 – the year of the fifth Champions League win – with 13 goals, including some important ones: a hat-trick in a narrow 3-2 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield, two goals against Millwall en route to the League Cup final, and two strikes on the road to Istanbul, where he led the line: a lovely effort against Monaco in the groups and a goal in Germany in the last 16. He bagged some key goals in 2002/03 as well and I still feel surprised that he was discarded almost instantly after Istanbul because he was good enough to have continued contributing.
ST – Christian Benteke
Benteke scored ten goals in his only season – not bad for a flop – and some of them were big goals: a late equaliser against Chelsea, a winner in Europe against Bordeaux, the only goals in 1-0 wins over Leicester, Sunderland and Bournemouth, and a very, very late penalty at Selhurst Park, executed with ridiculous composure. He also scored his penalty in the League Cup semi-final shootout on the way to Wembley. Signing Benteke and Firmino in the same window was never going to work, but the Belgian was decent enough. He could be a great bench option now – imagine him on the end of Alexander-Arnold and Robertson’s crosses.
Sub – Adam Bogdan
Bogdan is remembered as a truly awful Liverpool goalkeeper who was diabolical in every game he played. This simply is not the case. He had horrendous games against Watford and Exeter. In his other four games, he was actually pretty good, saving two penalties in a League Cup shootout against Carlisle and getting man of the match the next round against Bournemouth. I’m not saying he was good by any means, but he wasn’t quite as bad as people make him out to be.
Sub – Glen Johnson
Johnson’s legacy at Liverpool is tarnished by the fact that his last season was really poor. However, people have forgotten how good he was for most of his time at the club. He made exactly 200 appearances for the club and was Liverpool’s undisputed first choice at right-back for five consecutive seasons, during which time he became England’s natural successor to Gary Neville. Nine goals for the Reds, including a big winner away at Chelsea in 2011. Don’t let 2014/15 make you think he was rubbish, for five years he was the best right-back in the country.
Sub – Steve Finnan
People are really sleeping on the fact that Steve Finnan is one of Liverpool’s best full-backs in the Premier League era. Five seasons as first choice at the club, the Irishman racked up 217 appearances between 2003 and 2008 after joining from Fulham. While he didn’t have the attacking qualities that Trent Alexander-Arnold possesses, he was consistency personified and hardly put a foot wrong. One of only five players to start both the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals.
Sub – Danny Murphy
A player who made 249 appearances and scored 44 goals for the club between 1997 and 2004, Murphy was a terrific servant to the club. The Englishman started the FA Cup and UEFA Cup successes in 2001, as well as the Community Shield and Super Cup successes the same year, and the 2003 League Cup Final. These days, Old Trafford is a ground that Liverpool struggle at every year, but between 2001 and 2004, the Reds racked up three straight 1-0 wins at the home of United, Murphy scoring the winner on all three occasions.
Sub – Mohamed Salah
Yes, he has frustrating moments and misses more chances than he scores, but this is the same for every top attacker in the world. He has more goals (70) and assists (24) in ten less Premier League games for Liverpool than Luis Suarez, who many consider to be the most talented player to play for the club. Stop judging Salah by his 2017/18 season, he’s still one of the very best goalscorers to ever grace Liverpool. (Please note Salah is on the bench because I think he is less underrated than Maxi or Benayoun, not because they are better players.)
Sub – Stewart Downing
Downing famously failed to register a goal or assist in his first Premier League season, though this was a deceptive stat – the winger created 55 scoring chances that season, but the finishing of Liverpool’s attackers was hopeless, meaning he didn’t rack up an assist – though this shouldn’t have been a reflection on him. He was outstanding in the 2012 League Cup Final, getting man of the match, and also scored two goals on the way to the FA Cup Final that season. He came into his stride in 2012/13, getting five goals and eight assists, and I was a little surprised to see him go by the time he left for West Ham as he was becoming the player we wanted him to be from the start.
Sub – Michael Owen
Some people have developed serious cases of selective memory loss when it comes to Owen. A player so breathtakingly good he won the Ballon D’Or – one of only two Premier League players to win it since the 1960s and the only Liverpool player to ever win the award – at 21 years of age. 158 goals in 297 games including ten hat-tricks, goals in the 2003 League Cup Final, 2001 Super Cup and a brace in the 2001 FA Cup, which he basically won on his own. Hate him for his departure if you like, but he was an absolutely unbelievable player for Liverpool and one of the best to wear the shirt in the Premier League era.
Manager – Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez doesn’t get the credit he deserves for the job he did at Liverpool. The Spaniard always had a masterplan to get something from a game against a far superior opposition – the semi-finals against Chelsea in the 2005 and 2007 Champions League and 2006 FA Cup, the win at the Nou Camp in 2007, the battering of Real Madrid in 2009 and of course the Istanbul final in 2005. Benitez had success on the league front too, ensuring Champions League qualification in five of his six seasons in charge, as well as coming agonisingly close to the title in 2008/09, when the team played some of the best football I’ve ever seen. He recruited players including Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, Luis Garcia, Yossi Benayoun and was also the man to get the best form out of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher’s careers. Benitez achieved all of this despite working during the most tumultuous time in Liverpool’s financial history, with Hicks and Gillett making things absolutely impossible at times, yet the club was still competitive. Four trophies – a Champions League, an FA Cup, a Community Shield and a Super Cup as well as narrow defeats in the League Cup and Champions League Finals of 2005 and 2007. Under the club’s current ownership, he’d have delivered multiple titles. I’m sure of that.
An honourable mention goes to Stan Collymore, whose record of 35 goals in 81 games – including two in the famous 4-3 win over Newcastle in 1996 – is very impressive. Robbie Fowler has recently spoken about not getting the accolades he deserves, though this is surely a comment about the world of football rather than Liverpool fans – he is still known as ‘God’ to the red half of Merseyside. Dirk Kuyt is a player who is constantly talked about as being underrated – so much so that I actually don’t think he is underrated by Liverpool fans – goals in two finals should be enough to put paid to any chance of that. Lucas Leiva is another one often described as underrated, but most Liverpool fans recognise his importance, and the same can be said of Roberto Firmino – the rest of football might not understand his importance and role to Liverpool, but fans at Anfield certainly do, and absolutely do not underrate him, while everyone now sees how good Jordan Henderson is. Collymore, Patrik Berger, Martin Skrtel, Emile Heskey, Titi Camara and Stephen Warnock all got close, as did Javier Mascherano (do people really recognise how good he was for Liverpool?) but I am pretty happy with my selections.
Daniel Daykin
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