Brad Smith's Strong Display Against FC Sion Gives Jurgen Klopp Left-Back Options
In a performance of little entertainment value but great consequence for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, the Reds secured progress to the Europa League's round of 32 with a 0-0 draw away to FC Sion on Thursday night, with the performance of 21-year-old left-back Brad Smith providing a major positive.
Arriving in Sion on Wednesday evening, Klopp's squad will have been taken aback by the exquisite views of the city, its lakes and the frosty landscape, but when they arrived at the Stade Tourbillon, this will have dissolved into despondency.
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Sion, sixth in the Swiss Super League and seeking a place in the knockout stages along with their opponents, welcomed Liverpool onto a half-frozen pitch, ahead of what was a dull, lifeless performance.
While his manager and the majority of his team-mates were primarily concerned with avoiding injury, Smith will have seen this as a major positive.
On his full Liverpool debut, the Australian underlined his credentials as a viable first-team option under Klopp.
Building on a strong substitute's appearance in the Reds' 6-1 win away to Southampton in the League Cup at the beginning of December, inclusion in the starting lineup in Sion will have been of real significance for Smith, who capped a remarkable comeback after a summer spent in contract limbo.
"Smith's contract at Liverpool had expired back in June," James Pearce wrote for the Mirror after Smith's surprise return against Southampton, before divulging the details of the academy star's summer:
"The Reds' offer of a new deal had been rejected on the basis that his representatives believed he would get more playing time and more cash elsewhere.
However, Smith was never released by Liverpool. The club stood their ground over the past six months and continued to hold his registration.
With Smith under the age of 24, the Reds would have been due a compensation fee if he had signed for another club.
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One of the clubs interested in signing Smith was Barnsley, with the League One outfit weighing up whether the hefty compensation dictated by four appearances for the Australian national team was worth their while.
Smith spent much of September training with the Tykes, with manager Lee Johnson deliberating over the worth of a deal, telling the Barnsley Chronicle that "ideally we would have another left-back in the squad who is more than six foot," reinforcing the notion of an agricultural brand of lower-league football.
Standing at 5'10" and boasting considerable potential, Smith remained on the books at Liverpool, with the Reds hopeful of extending his terms.
"Brad's got a decision to make now. Does he re-sign for Liverpool for the right reasons? Or does he move on?" Johnson told The Star towards the end of September, later adding "Liverpool obviously still feel he has the potential to get into their first team."
Pearce described this as a "new toughline policy" from the Reds, and with Smith signing a new long-term contract with the club in November, just over a month after Klopp's arrival, their approach was vindicated.
As Pearce continues to detail, "Smith quickly impressed Klopp with his attitude and application in training with the manager delighted to have greater cover at full-back," and this could be seen as the German handed Smith his first-ever start for the club on Thursday night—711 days after his debut as a substitute.
Smith repaid his manager's faith with a strong performance at left-back, contending with an icy surface in the second half but maintaining consistency in his defensive strength and delivery in the final third.
Liverpool have long lacked a creative outlet in their full-back ranks, but in Smith and Alberto Moreno, Klopp can now count on two players to provide an overlapping presence in attack.
Against Sion, Smith attempted six crosses, dovetailing with left-sided midfielder James Milner to overwhelm former Fulham man Elsad Zverotic at right-back, with two of his deliveries providing clear opportunities for lone striker Divock Origi.
Smith's energy and direct style of attacking play represented Liverpool's most dangerous option in attack, and this will no doubt have impressed Klopp on a night when the former Borussia Dortmund manager seemed primarily focussed on injury evasion.
"I am really satisfied, no-one is injured and they were very focused and concentrated on the game," he told reporters, as relayed by the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield).
But while he glossed over the nuances of his side's performance, preferring to focus on the poor conditions in Sion, Klopp should have noted Smith's positive display.
Approaching a period when his side play nine games in 36 days—an average of a game every four days and including five away trips—having the Australian in reserve could prove invaluable.
Leaving Moreno behind for the trip to Switzerland, Klopp acknowledged the Spaniard's overexertion throughout his reign as Liverpool manager.
Moreno has made 11 appearances for the Reds since Klopp's arrival, with Thursday night's draw only the second outing he has sat out, and while the former Sevilla left-back has shown little signs of fatigue, he and his manager will have been riding their luck to some extent.
Having Smith as cover for first-choice option Moreno will give Klopp the leeway to rotate throughout the festive period.
Clashes against Sunderland in the Premier League and Exeter City in the FA Cup represent suitable junctures to rest Moreno and utilise Smith, who has proved capable of excelling alongside his senior team-mates.
Smith's rise will relieve Klopp of further pressure when the January transfer market opens, too, with finding cover at left-back no longer a priority.
Producing a strong performance in testing conditions in Sion on Thursday night, Smith made another step in what looks set to be a promising career on Merseyside.
In a performance that offered Klopp little else in terms of lessons learned, Smith's quality at left-back should be cherished as a key positive.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
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