It’ll Tak time for Kop new boy to shine
THESE can’t have been the nights he was dreaming of when Takumi Minamino agreed to join the Champions League winners.
He would must have been dreaming of trips to Spain, where Liverpool were crowned kings of Europe last year in Madrid.
Or Qatar perhaps, where they recently lifted the Club World Cup.
Even Istanbul, where Jurgen Klopp’s men won the Super Cup in August.
Instead, the 25-year-old found himself in Shropshire, the home of League One Shrewsbury.
But he might ultimately remember this embarrassing draw as a vital game in his development as he adjusts to English football.
The £7.5m signing from Red Bull Salzburg unquestionably possess good technical qualities and a decent first touch with both feet.
But the new boy seemed noticeably lightweight in a central forward role as he was brushed off the ball and struggled to link play. He was not helped by a bumpy pitch at the Montgomery Waters Meadow.
But he had several chances to make an impression and open his Reds account in his second FA Cup start for his new club.
Minamino, who has 11 goals in 22 games for Japan, had two early half chances in the box but both quickly evaporated.
He kept going and showed good movement and was always looking to make himself available.
He sometimes even dropped into his own half to get on the ball.
But he made little impact in the first 20 minutes and let his frustrations get the better of him when he brought down Donald Love moments later.
Minamino’s physical shortcomings were underlined when he tried to turn midfielder Sean Goss, who easily shrugged him off.
He then had a good chance in the 39th minute from 16 yards out but failed to hit the target.
On this evidence, it looks like he will have to wait a while to break his duck for Liverpool, having being replaced five minutes from time by Klopp after a switch out wide failed to pay off.