http://vbox7.com/play:b058e3b9c7 Not a compilation so shows all his touches He was very good when he first arrived. His ability to transfer play from defence into the attacking areas [wings, attacking mid] has resulted in Liverpool losing control in some matches. The gap that he fills [and often plays the ball sideways] is very important.
Agreed. If he can regain this level, then he's possibly the most suited to our midfield. But it's a big IF. His poor form coincided with a serious injury and fatherhood. I would not play Allen as the number 10 or in an attacking role. I know this is how Rodgers sees him but I have seen nothing from him which would indicate he can unlock defences in tight areas of the pitch. Keep him in front of the back 4 - he will find more space and room to pick the ball up and start the attacks.
You bought the wrong one, you should have signed Leon Briton.... Allen just moves the ball around with no real purpose, most of the time & he couldn't tackle a decent breakfast, so if you're hoping he's going to turn out to be the missing link, I reckon you're clutching at straws.................... that you already grabbed at last season ffs.
He reads the game better than Allen, he therefore sees danger better & has a better eye for a pass imo.
Well considering he was playing as a DM when he first joined, he was expected to be in space and keep possession. He wasn't expected to create anything - simply feed the other players.
Watched them play together a lot at Swansea and they were a good combination but neither are very creative and both seem to select similar passes, Britton was the one who would drop deep and Allen would remain further forward. I don't think us buying Britton would have been a better option as there's so little between the players and with Allen being a lot younger he was the better option, whether he was the right option is debatable but I think he'll do well for us eventually.
He was getting dogs abuse by plenty of Reds last season, many were chuffed when he got injured ffs. What were they missing like?
IMO, he was brilliant for the first few months. Made the rest look technically incompetent at times - closing down, working hard off the ball, good control, quick snappy accurate passing. Not disputing that his form dropped dramatically, which coincided with a shoulder injury and fatherhood. If he can regain that good form, then he is an asset. But that's a big if. At the moment, we lack control and dominance which stems from the central midfield. They are far too static - these two players should be on the move, looking for space and giving others the option to pass to and retain possession.
Now that I agree with. Gerrard's legs have finally succumbed imo. I've watched him a few times this season & he looks a shadow of the player he was. Even in the England game last week, I thought he'd had a stinker, but the last minute goal somehow glossed over the obvious poor display. Henderson has got the athleticism, but appears to have the brain of gnat, as his positional sense & his gauging of danger is obviously lacking at times. So Allen will at least give you some 'legs' in CM, but personally I think you need a dominating presence in there & he's certainly not that.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that Allen is the answer to our problems. We still need quality players in that area of the pitch and I;m sure Rodgers is looking into that. I just feel that Allen is better suited to the style Rodgers wants to adopt than Gerrard, Lucas and Henderson are. Henderson does have great stamina and energy, but his intelligence, positioning and passing are all improving. Again, he is not the answer but provides a decent option. This is our weakest area and has been since Mascherano and Alonso both left, and we've not replaced them adequately which I believe has led to our decline. Re. Gerrard - I've not rated him for the past 2-3 years. I think he is given far too much respect because his name and reputation.
I agree I think you've been weak in CM for a few years. You've have had some good players in there, but never quite got the right blend & sometimes chopped & changed too much, so never gained any real continuity in that area. In fairness to Gerrard I wrote him off 2 years ago, as I thought he was on the downslope, but he came back last season with aplomb & I had to eat my words. However, it looks like it was his Indian summer, as he looks about shot to me now, he'll still no doubt perform like a teenager in at least 2 games this season though but overall I think he's not far off being done.
No wonder you keep coming up with absurdities like Allen controlling our midfield when you mix up 2 very distinct styles of play. Firstly the set up with Masch and Xavi was totally different to the one that Rodgers is now trying to establish. It's not just a difference of personnel but in philosophy. I don't care how you've rated Gerrard for the last 2 years! You are just plain wrong. Take him out of our side and our whole forward movement grinds to a halt. The incisiveness disappears totally. We never have had such a quality player in our side and it's to our shame that he is not being given the freedom to express his creativity fully.
I agree with you - Gerrard is wasted playing so deep. He's not a central midfielder - he's an attacking midfielder who can play deep from time to time. Hence why Rafa played him predominantly as AM or RW. Now Gerrard doesn't have the legs so we now have to manage him better and Rodgers is shoe-horning him into the side, by letting him play deep. We're not getting the best out of him there, and as a result, we're sacrificing movement and mobility in such a crucial area of the pitch. And yes - the styles are different but the fundamentals remain the same. Central midfield is the most important part of a winning team in that it links defence and attack. It provides support to both areas which involves physical and technical ability.
You're exactly right. Anyone who thinks that Gerrard still has the legs to play off the striker or on the wing in the EPL, needs to give their head a wobble.
Gerrard should still be able to play the Pirlo role though. He DOES have the passing ability, the vision and he can tackle more than Pirlo. But yes, if people are expecting an Istanbul from him each week they're sadly deluded. Except when we play Everton, 'natch....
I think i should offer a point on allen. He is a young enough player who is tactically naive. It took lucas 3 years to learn this role and we expect allen to "swan" in and know it over night. In short i think passing is one thing but knowing where to be, when to be and not making mistakes in that is something he'll have to learn and peopel owuld have to put up with... now.... leon britton... frankly guys this guy is vastly over rated. he is a decent player at a decent, average side and if you expect him to be some sort of genius if only he was playing for lfc or even everton you are badly mistaken!
Agree with Dave RE Gerrard. We need him in the team because he changes games with what are still some of the finest passes in the PL. His legs are gone though so he needs others around him to do the running. No surprise that some of our best performances have come with a midfield trio of Lucas, Henderson and Gerrard. We can't drop him, not this season, but we need to be on top priority for signing two midfielders for January and Summer and leave Gerrard next season as a sub/big game player - just like Scholes and Giggs were. If we go into next season with Henderson, Lucas and Allen as our midfielders with another year older Gerrard on the bench, I'll be worried. Not enough creativity. All the attacks will come from Suarez or Coutinho coming deep.
