I get a bit bored of the "look at Lucas" comparissons. For every player given years to develop who eventually come good I could point to ten who are given time and never make the grade. Maybe when we throw £15 million at a player we should expect a certain level of performance and that level IMO is higher than Allen delivered last year. We all know the impact not qualifying for CL has on the club right? So when we go out and spend £26 mill on two players who make absolutely no impact on last seasons chase for fourth it hurts us not just for that season but also (potentially) for the season after too. So two expensive young players have "a years more experience"....but your best players want to leave for a higher level of footy. What use is that? Might as well just rebrand as the Arsenal of the North (except without top 4). The youth team/Academy/reserves are where we should be developing players to a certain level and the first team is where they play when they reach that level. If they underperform they are replaced and sent back to work on their game. We have to stop treating the first team as some sort of creche for players who might be useful in 3 years time. As for those backing BRs judgement on this one, time will tell but let's not forget he wanted to swap Hendo for Dempsey last summer.
Our central midfield needs Henderson - Lucas and Gerrard are not mobile enough for me. Henderson provides that balance, the energy and grit.
I think for the role Allen is playing, he can still be classed as "one for the future", I think his game will grow in the years to come and (I hope) he becomes more complete. No good just being able to pass and move, it's about vision and forward thinking too and Allen (I feel) is a little too negative (bar his pre-season displays) in the way he plays
I hope BR has learned his lesson about the value of Henderson. I think wanting Dempsey was more about wanting someone rather than noone.
again..... I am developing a theory that our high earners must be not only performers but sure things to stay at the club. Reina should shock us all.... Hendo is on 60k per week which is horrendously stupid of the club to offer it. i am sure he was expecting 30k and his agent whopped for delight when he was offer that. It puts hendo firmly on the you are a target list. Allen is on 40-45k per week. allen will start the season with gerrard and lucas in the middle so get used to that idea. downing will be shown the door too. Our first team would be: Mingolet Johnson Toure Agger Enrique Lucas gerrard allen Sterling Aspas coutinho with suarez coming in after a few games... but... wages: 45k 70k 60k 70k 60k 60k 130k 45k 40k (yes sterling 40k) 30k 30k look at that... aspas is reputedly on less than sterling! thats paying for potentially a huge sell on fee nothing more and it is required. If you looked at this 3 years ago it would have been 30-40% more. In short we are really underpaying players now on the promise of bonuses and opportunity. coutinho is paid less than sterling! you can see the hold outs at the back and the only thing I can say is players have to be first 11... not a sub to justify wages in the new LFC. The day johnson goes you'll know why... tow kids snapping at his heels already with two more snapping at thiers and him aging and on high wages??? hendo will be lucky to get games i think. he must deliver A LOT off the bench to stay..
Can't argue about most of what you're saying here, but saying he was the best we had in the first couple of months of last season is damning with faint praise, as some of that was dreadful from the team in terms of stupid, avoidable errors.
Allen is a system player. He might not move the ball more than a few yards, but it's about compressing the opposition into one zone then moving it out of that zone quickly. Allen is good at keeping the ball and allowing others to start attacks in this way. He's also very balanced when e receives a pass and seems completely two footed - if he adds strength and confidence to his game... He could be useful. Really want him to succeed.
