What’s Charlie Adam’s issue with Xherdan Shaqiri? It’s getting beyond personal now and just plain stupid. SEE MORE: Klopp: How Coutinho would have changed Champions League Final The Scottish midfielder, who used to play at Liverpool before we dumped him to Stoke City in 2012, has been slating Shaqiri ever since the Swiss departed for Anfield earlier this summer… The pair were relegated with Stoke last term, and Adam thinks his former team-mate was to blame, either though Shaqiri scored eight goals and registered seven assists – far more than any of his team-mates. “He’s a big player, at times he did well for us,” Adam told RTE. “But in critical situations, I felt tracking back and what we needed for the team in a relegation battle just wasn’t there. “He has got it in him, but he probably knew we were going to get relegated, he was going to the World Cup and had this big move – this move was probably done three, four months ago. He is a match-winner, but at times it was difficult to play in the same team. The manager would let him get away with certain things. “He might get frustrated at not playing as much as he wants – it’s how long he waits and what (manager Jurgen) Klopp does with him,” he concluded. The thing is, Shaqiri under Klopp is not the same player as Shaqiri under Mark Hughes or Paul Lambert… Our manager is quite simply a league above both – and the 26-year-old will know what’s expected of him when he plays for Liverpool. There’s frankly no way he’s going to coast in our midfielder under Klopp’s guidance, and Adam is foolish to suggest as much.<doc-sep>Get our LFC newsletter for the best Reds coverage Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up now Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice It's hurting Charlie Adam. You can just tell. The former Liverpool man was at it again this week, aiming a sly dig at departed Stoke City team-mate Xherdan Shaqiri having previously called him a “so-called big player” who “never turned up”. Adam wasn't too happy at the instruction from then Stoke boss Paul Lambert about the Swiss international as the Potters fought in vain against Premier League relegation last season. “We had a meeting and the previous manager went round us all and basically called us all water-carriers and he (Shaqiri) was the only world-class player we had in our team,” said Adam. “Basically we had to get him on the ball to make something happen, which was difficult to take.” For a man not exactly lacking in self-belief to be told he was basically Shaqiri's serf, such a reaction was perhaps inevitable. Then came the warning for Liverpool about Shaqiri's currently happy demeanour. “It's only going to last six months and he won't be happy sitting on the bench,” said Adam. “He'll want to play in the bigger games.” Adam's subsequent praise of Shaqiri – “he's a top player, he deserves to be there” – was clearly said through gritted teeth. But why is the Scottish midfielder coming across as being so, well, bitter towards his ex-colleague? Perhaps a clue can be found by considering these comments in 2016 when, speaking on The Fantasy Football Club on Sky Sports, he recalled his departure from Liverpool to Stoke in 2012, just 12 months after moving to Anfield from Blackpool. “It was a difficult time,” he said. “I only had 24 hours to think about it. It happened quick. “I probably should have stuck it out for another season, if I’m being honest. “You see it now. No disrespect but Jordan (Henderson) is still there and he’s playing every week. You never know, that might have been my situation. You never know.” Henderson is now Liverpool skipper, leading them out at the Champions League final and pivotal in helping England reach the World Cup semi-finals. Adam is preparing for life in the Championship. The midfielder evidently hasn't quite got over what happened to him at Anfield. He arrived with significant fanfare – “Adam's corners are worth £10million alone,” said Sir Alex Ferguson, who possibly knew what was coming – but, from his first outing at home to Sunderland, it was clear acclimatisation would be a struggle. So it proved, despite the occasional flashes of quality. Brendan Rodgers replaced Kenny Dalglish as boss the following summer, and that was it for Adam. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now The player still has a lot of love for Liverpool, even if he has an odd way of showing it at times. And he believes the Reds can finally end their long wait for the championship. “They are capable of winning the league, I'm firmly believe that they are,” Adam said in April. “They've got Naby Keita coming in over the summer, Emre Can looks like he will go. “But if they can get another one or two in I think they can challenge next summer.” Alisson Becker, Fabinho and, of course, Shaqiri have since arrived. Adam, though, hasn't changed his tune. “Liverpool are one or two players from the title,” he claimed again this week. You get the feeling Adam will keep on saying that until he's one of them again.<doc-sep>Xherdan Shaqiri was a part of the Stoke side relegated to the Championship last season (Getty Images) Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam has criticised the work rate and commitment of former teammate Xherdan Shaqiri following his transfer to Liverpool over the summer. Adam and Shaqiri were both part of the Stoke side which suffered relegation to the Championship last season and the Scotland international has now questioned Shaqiri’s role in trying to keep the Potters up. Adam described the Switzerland international, who scored on his Liverpool debut against Man Utd last week, as a ‘top player’ who deserved his move to Anfield but highlighted worrying shortcomings in his game – even suggesting Mark Hughes and Paul Lambert gave him preferential treatment. ‘He’s a big player, at times he did well for us,’ Adam told BBC Sport. ‘But in critical situations, I felt tracking back and what we needed for the team in a relegation battle just wasn’t there. ‘He has got it in him, but he probably knew we were going to get relegated, he was going to the World Cup and had this big move – this move was probably done three, four months ago. ‘He is a match-winner, but at times it was difficult to play in the same team. The manager would let him get away with certain things.’ Adam added that the former Bayern and Inter attacker could soon begin to grow impatient if he does not get enough first-team opportunities under Jurgen Klopp ‘He might get frustrated at not playing as much as he wants – it’s how long he waits and what (manager Jurgen) Klopp does with him,’ he said. Xherdan Shaqiri scored more goals (8) and made more assists (7) than any other Stoke player last season. MORE : Liverpool open talks with Sadio Mane over new long-term deal<doc-sep>Get our LFC newsletter for the best Reds coverage Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up now Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Xherdan Shaqiri has been fiercely defended from Charlie Adam's criticism - by Stoke supporters. Liverpool's latest summer signing has come under further fire from his former team-mate at the Potters, with Adam questioning the Swiss winger's motivation during the final months of their doomed Premier League campaign last season. Shaqiri joined Jurgen Klopp's side this month in a £13million move and was quickly forced to defend himself following Adam labelling him a "so-called big player" who "never turned up". Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, the former Reds man criticised the 26-year-old's commitment last season, claiming the player might have known he was leaving months before the end of the campaign. Yet despite the Scot still being on the books at the Bet365 Stadium, Stoke fans have been quick to leap to the defence of their former star, who spent three years at the club. The dismissal of Adam wasn't wholly unanimous, mind you, with one fan agreeing with Adam over Shaqiri and Paul Lambert. "He's a big player, at times he did well for us," Adam said on Monday. "But in critical situations, I felt tracking back and what we needed for the team in a relegation battle just wasn't there. "He has got it in him, but he probably knew we were going to get relegated, he was going to the World Cup and had this big move - this move was probably done three, four months ago. "He is a match-winner, but at times it was difficult to play in the same team. The manager would let him get away with certain things. We fell short, it's not just him, there are others."<doc-sep>
Former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam has criticised the attitude of new signing Xherdan Shaqiri. Familiar from their time together at Stoke, the Belfast Telegraph report that the veteran was unimpressed by the Swiss superstar’s demeanour in the Potters’ doomed 2017-18 Premier League campaign that resulted in relegation. A Liverpool player from 2011 to 2013, Adam said of Shaqiri: He’s a big player, at times he did well for us, But in critical situations, I felt tracking back and what we needed for the team in a relegation battle just wasn’t there. He has got it in him, but he probably knew we were going to get relegated, he was going to the World Cup and had this big move – this move was probably done three, four months ago. The Scotsman admitted that managers would sometimes give the winger a longer leash than other players: He is a match-winner, but at times it was difficult to play in the same team. The manager would let him get away with certain things. Adam also went on to warn Liverpool that if Shaqiri didn’t get regular minutes, he may grow impatient: He might get frustrated at not playing as much as he wants – it’s how long he waits and what (manager Jurgen) Klopp does with him, The 32-year-old did concede that his former teammate was in the right place, however: He will fit in at Liverpool, he’s a top player. He deserves to be there, Shaqiri opened his Liverpool account with a spectacular overhead kick in the 4-1 defeat of Manchester United in Michigan.