Dominik Szoboszlai — An Insight
An Introduction to Szoboszlai
When news broke in July 2023 that Liverpool had scooped up Hungarian mega-talent Dominik Szoboszlai, I was ecstatic. He was a player I’d had my eye on since his emergence at RB Salzburg half a decade ago.
With Jude Bellingham out of the picture for Liverpool following his pledge to Real Madrid, I expected a high-caliber offensive midfielder to be brought in to bolster the centre of the pitch. It was evident that the core of Liverpool’s squad had lacked creativity & athleticism for several years at that point. With the departure of Georginio Wijnaldum in 2021 and Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita & Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2023, it was apparent that the club needed a complete overhaul in the midfield. Enter Dominik Szobozlai.
Szoboszlai is what I would define as a modern 10. He’s a very attack-minded player, with impressive ball-carrying ability. However, he assists with defense and serves as defensive cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold when the right-back ventures up the pitch. During the first half of the season, Szoboszlai played in a free role that allowed him to be a key cog for Liverpool in the offensive third; zone 14 in particular.
In recent months following his return from injury, he’s been deployed in a more conservative role following Wataru Endo’s upsurge in form which sanctioned Alexis Mac Allister to play in a more advanced position in the midfield. Following a series of unimpressive performances towards the end of the club season, his minutes were severely restricted and he was forced to wither away on the bench.
His drop in form can be attributed to multiple factors. His confidence severely plummeted after he was forced to feature in a role that didn’t suit his favourable qualities whatsoever. Instead of being used as the creative force in the team, Klopp was utilizing him as a road-runner whose main purpose was to be the engine in midfield. Let’s discuss the key attributes of Dominik Szoboszlai’s style of play.
Dribbling
Dominik Szoboszlai is naturally gifted on the ball with the ability to make greater strides than most due to his longer-than-average legs. He’s an excellent ball carrier, able to collect in the middle third and progress the ball into zones 13–15, averaging 3.19 progressive carries per 90. Very efficient with his touches on the ball & can dribble out of tight areas.
He can take on his man as well, completing 0.92 take-ons per 90. His ball-carrying is essential for a team like Liverpool that transitions from defense to attack swiftly compared to other sides. Taking into account the relatively elevated position of Liverpool’s frontline compared to the rest of the team, a link between midfield & attack created by Szoboszlai is key.
Shooting and Box Presence
Dominik Szoboszlai is a constant presence in and around the 18-yard box. His ball-striking ability is world-class and he can hit one from range as we’ve seen multiple times in his debut season for Liverpool. At Salzburg, he displayed some capacity regarding this aspect of his play but he refined his shooting at RB Leipzig where he had to go up against top defensive units in the Bundesliga that closed him down quickly.
A key area I’d like to highlight regarding his box presence is his aura that draws defenders towards him and creates space for his teammates. During every Liverpool attack, the opposition defense has one eye on Szoboszlai & the other on whoever has the ball at the moment. Due to this, he can’t ghost into the box like a Mesut Ozil or Kaka & have space to pull off a high xG shot.
Defensive Capability — Or Lack Thereof
Szoboszlai was utilized as a pressing midfielder in his premier season for Liverpool. Being a part of a side that looked to aggressively press in the opposition’s half & look to win the ball in dangerous, goalscoring areas, Szoboszlai needed to develop a degree of competence when it came to defending from the front.
Jurgen Klopp slowly eased him into this role, allowing Dominik to play in a freer role in the first half of the season as I mentioned early before Wataru Endo’s rise to form forced Klopp to trial Szoboszlai as a box-to-box midfielder to allow Alexis Mac Allister to play further forward.
Szoboszlai has lots of stamina compared to most midfielders. He and Nunez/Gakpo usually made up the bulk of Liverpool’s pressing in the final & middle thirds. He isn’t a ball-winner; instead, his presence seeks to undermine the opposition player with the ball’s focus before a teammate can regain possession.
Tackling-wise, he’s very poor only averaging 1.32 per 90 which puts him into the bottom 10th percentile for midfielders. Despite being 6'1, he isn’t an aerial dueler and loses most of his clashes in the air. This further displays his lack of defensive aptitude. A simple solution would be to play him as the attacking midfielder in the 4–2–3–1 that Arne Slot will likely use at Liverpool next season.
The Final Verdict
Dominik Szoboszlai is currently one of the most exciting attacking midfield prospects in Europe. Following a great run of form in the first half of the 2023/24 season, his performances began to fall as his role in the team changed following a shift in the midfield dynamic. His confidence has hit rock bottom and he’s currently working on bettering himself behind the scenes.
He’ll be the main man for Hungary at EURO 2024 & you’ll see why I’m such a strong advocate for Szoboszlai to be played as a 10 rather than a pressing centre-mid. If you’ve enjoyed this informative page regarding Dominik Szoboszlai, please give it a like.
I have a Twitter page where I post my views on football on a more consistent basis, which you’ll find linked in my bio. I’m still new to this form of content creation so I hope you’ll bear with me as I adapt to this site. Cheers.
