Although we've come to the end of the road Still I can't let go It's unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you Come to the end of the road Still I can't let go It's unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you
What must I say What must I do To show how much I think about freek'n you What must I say What must I do To show how much I think about freek'n you Oooh, I could go on for days But I couldn't go on for weeks I can even play with another body But it wouldn't last 'cause I'm a freak Turned on by everything you say I'm turned on by everything you do And at night when I close my eyes I only dream of freek'n you
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How many members have joined the Joe Allen Appreciation Society so far Magic? You, Gonz and Jimmy....anyone else??
Joe Allen's problem is that he's too good for the players around him. Its what would happen if you put Messi in the Stoke team, he'd look really average not winning any flick ons but it'd be everyone else's fault really. Basically build our team around Allen and we will win the league, champions league & fa cup.
The team's been playing better with Allen because we now have three midfielders who can run and press instead of two. It's got **** all to do with his 'simple' passing style which I still maintain every damn midfielder should be able to do anyway. He's an average player who can run around a bit and keep the ball in a 20 yard square. We can and should buy better than him. Someone who can run and press just as well but maybe do something useful with the ball.
Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand, I'm going to shoot my old lady, You know I caught her messin with another man. Its got **** all to do with the situation, but its got Joe in the title, so its all good. I was going to go for "look out for Joe, he's got the flow" from S club Party, but that is actually a lady with no "e" on Jo, and would be silly.
So our midfield looks better because we have some one extra who can run more? Do you actually believe that? Sign up Mo Farah, imagine what he could do for our midfield The funny thing is not every midfielder can do it, why do you not see the "lesser" teams dominate possession?
I'm with Magic (not on the man crush thing) but I think people are being way over the top with the criticism of Allen. This season he's been very good and everyone has to admit our midfield has looked a lot better with him Lucas & Henderson than it has with Gerrard and any of the others. Yes, individually Gerrard is better than those 3, however the midfield 3 need to compliment each other and at the moment those 3 are. Yes he could be improved on but then name me a player in our team apart from Suarez that can't? Everyone saying he's not top 4 quality, but we haven't been top 4 in 5 years? Surely that shows that everyone else in our squad isn't top 4 quality apart from the odd couple. However counter that by saying this season we are top 4. If we finish top 4 and he plays a major part then don't see how you could argue against it.
Lol, I think we have much more pressing concerns than Allen. Never going to be brilliant but he's not as bad some seem to hope he is. Strange that and average player replaces the once world class player and we immediately looked more like a fluent, mobile team. By all means let's bring in better but c'Mon that's the aim for every position. If we are going to keep playing BR's style (call it what you want) our priority has to be world class Full backs, they are key to how Rogers wants us playing. At the minute we have a waste of space and a just better than ok who's Crocked and a kid who may be great one day. And some zygotes. Then an upgrade (and I mean upgrade only ) on Lucas at DM. That's the priorities. Then let's see how we do. Allen can potter about rightly in the squad but I absolutely guarantee he's not what is going to have us miss out on top 4 this year, if we do miss out that is. To his detractors what happens if we make top 4 with him playing a wedge of games?
That's precisely what I'm saying. The way Rodgers plays, he needs pressing and energy from the midfield three. Gerrard cannot press. Allen can. The trio of Lucas, Hendo and Allen works better than Lucas, Hendo and Gerrard in this regard (and trust me, I'm no fan of Allen but I would still play him over Gerrard). I'd rather Gerrard further up the pitch... but that's another discussion entirely. He is nowhere close to being as good a player as Gerrard (same for the other two), but their stamina and ability to do simple things makes it work and provide that energy we need. Hendo, to his credit, is starting to really get a good range of passing into his game and open up defenses which is just what we need. Lucas breaks up play nicely. Allen...just presses and passes the ball around. Imagine if you had someone who can press well and has the ability to provide penetrating forward passes? He's good for our system right now, but we're kidding ourselves if we don't think there are far better options out there for that midfield spot. Players who do more than the basics. I don't know why every midfielder can't pass a ball 10yards and keep the ball, but they should. I expect midfielders to be more rounded players and involved in multiple phases of the game, not just be specialised in one. 4-3-3 is a formation which calls for flexibility and roaming. Average player, fits our current style and helps makes our midfield effective. Can do far better in that position. That's about it for me.
I think it's a case of each to their own with this one. People wrongly see Allen as some one who stands there and pops the ball sideways. For me he's a player who can receive the ball in tight situations, ride a challenge and use the ball intelligently. He needs to do it more further on up the pitch for sure, but that will come with time and confidence. You rightly label Henderson's and Lucas's strengths, Allen is effectively a mix between both. He matched City's midfield alongside Lucas and that in itself should speak wonders about what he brings to this side, he's not just a runner (Sound familiar? That's what people labelled Henderson at the start of the season). People used the same sort of criticism for Henderson, but given the time and backing he's starting to add more to his game. Each to their own, but I stick by what I said. If he stays fit he'll prove people wrong, the exact same statement I made for Henderson.
I've always been a big fan of Allen's, and agree, he'll make a few people (on here too) eat their words. It's no surprise that even against Oldham, with Stevie in the side, our midfield was over-run, he's an all time Liverpool great, may go down as one of the greatest but he's not got the legs anymore. The energy our midfield has with Allen, Lucas and Hendo in the side allows us to compete with most midfield's for most of the game. We were over run a bit against the Chavs but our second half showing proved we can mix it with them.
