John Barnes claims Thiago Alcantara has been 'Liverpool's best player this season' when he has played, and says the team needs time to settle with him as the main playmaker.
The Brazilian midfielder joined the club on a free transfer from Bayern Munich in the summer and has impressed when he has featured but has not yet had a consistent run of games due to injuries.
Liverpool have endured a difficult campaign this season, scoring just one goal in a winless run of five games in the Premier League, a far-cry from their free-flowing displays that saw them storm to the title last season.