Flashes of skill and brilliance but they've been few and far between. Started well under Klopp but has dipped along with rest of the team as well. At Saints his goal scoring record was very impressive, 15 goals in the Prem year before we signed him but he doesn't look like he can shoot to save his life with us! Remember a couple of goals he scored cutting in from the left and dribbling before slotting in (think one was against United?). I think he's suffering from not having a position either. Can anyone actually pin point his best role? Wide left? Behind the forward? In a 4231 he could fit either them roles I guess but in a 433 does he fit? I think the price tag has affected him, at Saints there wasn't the same kind of pressure and he grew into the team from while playing at a lower level than the Prem. Suddenly being a big money player and he's just not been able to cope with it. I think when it comes to English players and technique on the ball he's right up there. First touch and ball control is very very good, comfortable on either foot and pretty good dribbling, but problem is he has no pace to go past players, and no real tricks. He can just keep hold of the ball while moving... He has a place in the squad no doubt and if he'd cost £15m rather than £25m then I don't think anyone would have a problem with him being a squad player, but like most things, big money signing you expect big impact and so far he's failed to deliver. Not the first and no doubt won't be the last either...
Disagree about his goal scoring. his highest is 10 goals in a season in all comps since promoted to PL.
Wrong. Jay Rodriguez got 15 goals in the Premier League that season (without scoring a penalty), not Lallana. Rodriguez got the 15 goals in 30 starts and 3 sub appearances. Lallana only got 9 goals in 37 starts and 1 sub appearance in the league. Lallana also got credited with a goal off a corner after a bullet header went in off him that season (Lallana basically knew nothing about it). 9 goals is Lallana's best return in the PL and he needed 37 starts, and 1 sub appearance, to do it and we were playing an aggressive high press with 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 all season under Pochettino. He had the luxury of having an unselfish centre forward in Lambert as well (before Lambert was past it). Lambert got 10 assists that season. The most assists Lallana has ever had in a PL season is 5. Lallana's best position is somewhere in the three behind the striker in 4-2-3-1 or on the wing in 4-3-3. It tended to be wide right for us the season he left, because Rodriguez was electric on the left that season. He is equally good (equally mediocre) on the left and right. I don't think he is any good behind the striker personally. He usually played on the wing for Saints.
Lallana got a lot of plaudits that season but I maintain that Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Clyne, Rodriguez and Shaw were more important to the team.
I agree, the 2 DM's were hard to break down and the width stretched teams giving the creative players that freedom. But saying that it's how we play now and Lallana is still rubbish.
Exactly, most of the team was more important than Lallana. But Lallana seemed to get massively overhyped for being the captain and English. Lambert was basically our captain anyway. Although Lambert didn't have the armband he was always talismanic and was definitely the true leader of the team after Saints were promoted. Schneiderlin was another leader. Obviously the main issue for Liverpool is keeping Sturridge fit. It's very difficult for any side without their best goal scorer. Ings is another goal scorer who's injured. That makes things tough. But Lallana really does do my head in.
He's an average PL player. He would look class in a lower/mid PL team like West Ham, West Brom, Swansea, Newcastle and of course Southampton but for a club that aspires to better things then he is simply not good enough.
