Minamino's issue with his Liverpool teammates and why he struggled at Anfield

09 December 2023 , 07:30

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Takumi Minamino struggled at Anfield (Image: Getty Images)

There was an expectation that Takumi Minamino would set the world alight at Liverpool and one day replace Roberto Firmino as the club's number nine slash 10 when he joined in January 2020.

But he struggled to make much of an impact after Liverpool took advantage of his £7.25million release clause at Red Bull Salzburg, and largely acted as a backup option for the duration of his short career on Merseyside.

Minaminomade just five starts for the Reds in his debut campaign and admitted that he needed to find ways to 'appeal to my teammates' and 'win their trust'.

He told Liverpool's website at the time: "In the last three months there have been areas which I'm quite happy about. But personally, I would love to contribute more to goals and assists – I'm feeling very hungry about that. I don't really know how much I still need to learn. But day by day, I'm feeling that I understand his [Klopp's] philosophies and I'm getting better.

"I have to show results. I think this is very important in order to win trust from the teammates and trust from the supporters. I think this is a very important thing that I have to achieve. I have been in this club for three months and I haven't played many games and my playing time is not that much – but this is not a good excuse.

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"In order to appeal to my teammates and [for them to] understand what I'm good at, I have to do what I really need to do. I think I'm still [learning] to fully understand the team, but I still hate to wait. In order to make an instant impact and make a contribution to the team, I'm doing my best every day.

"I only have limited chances but when the manager needs me, I have to show the results of the manager's expectations." However, those opportunities never really came for Minamino in his first full season at Anfield as he made just seven starts across all competitions.

The following year, Minamino enjoyed a short stint on loan at Southampton. But after a promising start saw him score two goals in his first three games, he found himself in and out of the side and soon returned to Anfield. Following yet another lacklustre campaign at Anfield where the majority of his game time came in the domestic cup competitions, Minamino spoke out about his frustrations.

Jurgen Klopp did not give Minamino many opportunities to impress (PA)

Having played key roles in helping Liverpool reach the League Cup and FA Cup finals, he did not feature in either final as Jurgen Klopp's side won them both on penalties. And in an interview with Sanspo, Minamino said he "felt motivated by regret and anger".

"Many of the games I played weren't of interest to anyone," Minamino said. "Even if I left the results, there wasn't much response. I was trying to inspire myself to prove my worth. I was doing personal training other than team training. I was thinking that I would leave something behind when I went to the match mentally.

"I felt motivated by regret and anger every day. I've never had this much time as a player. It was difficult to maintain the condition and connect with my feelings. But it was a season that seemed to have grown. It was disappointing but fulfilling. At the same time, it makes sense to play an important game and leave a result, so it is said that I got out and got a result, but I do not think it was a big deal. I want to do my best to be a player who can produce results in important games."

Minamino left to join Monaco last year, but struggled in his first season in France (Getty Images)

Unsurprisingly, Minamino was sold to Monaco that same month and afforded the opportunities he so desperately wanted. However, he endured a difficult first season in France, scoring just one goal. "Takumi Minamino is [the signing] that has had the most difficulty integrating for the time being," Monaco's then sporting director Paul Mitchell told Nice-Matin.

"We have to be patient. I hope that his goal against Reims will lead to many more. It's paradoxical because he's the oldest player on the list (of arrivals). He needs a bit more time to adapt to the tactical expectations, the physicality of Ligue 1, and our style of play. He needs to acclimatise physically and mentally.

"He needs rhythm. We know he's a good player. He shone at Salzburg, has huge Champions League experience, come from Liverpool where he scored important goals and Jurgen Klopp has always spoken highly of him. We're working to give him back that relaxation that is currently lacking from his game. He is 27 years old and is reaching the peak of his career. There is no doubt as to his abilities."

Minamino is now back to his best this season, having benefitted from a full pre-season, a new manager and a positional switch (VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

And this season, Minamino looks to have found his feet at Monaco. Under new head coach Adi Hutter, who he previously worked with at Salzburg, Minamino has been playing more centrally and has pitched in with five goals and four assists in 13 league games so far.

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That puts him fourth among Ligue 1's top scorers and top assisters and he credits the impact of Hutter, his positional switch and a full pre-season for his revival. "I already knew his way of playing, so I tried right away to put it into action," he told L'Equipe in September.

"We can see everyone gets his ideas. For instance, he gives us training plans in which his intentions and ultimate goal are always specified. This is the position in which I feel the most at ease. But, the more important thing is that I had a real summer pre-season. It was not the case last year."

Matthew Cooper