I wouldn't go that far. He's had a couple of good games what's to say it will continue? If he can sustain it, then we'll know it is progress.
Still got a lot to do if he's to become a top player but so far so good he's improving and is a valuable squad member.
There are obviously better players around but nobody can doubt his commitment. He has the qualities to become very good but needs to add goals to his game.
People don't appreciate his ability off the ball - his movement, intelligence, pressing are crucial and I guarantee that Gerrard wouldn't be performing as well as he has done without the likes of Henderson and Allen ahead of him.
ah ha ha ha ha! thats what i thought when i read this. well done brendan rodgers, cos right now if he said the sky was maroon and his anus had teeth the pres would believe it. He's an average player who's a trier. Fair play to him and rodgers loves his little fella but there is no way i'll be convinced off one or two games lately compared to many games previously. Again i keep saying this. there is absolutely nothing wrong with being average, but don't turn to the average guy when the chips are down and you need something more.
Not liking some of the turned up noses and backhanded compliments here. Just man up and say it - Allen has performed a key role in our last 3 wins. Why is it so hard for people to see Allen's qualities? Besides covering ground excellently, breaking play well and reliable passing, he provides smth else that neither Hendo, Lucas nor Gerrard can provide: dictate tempo to a significant extent, keep the ball, calm the play if it need be, before playing a pass.
Don't you think it's a bit too soon to be calling him one of the league's top talents though? He hasn't featured enough yet surely.
Because his abilities shine for a series of two or three games before become average again for a few months. I think he does have the ability to do those things but he doesn't ever actually do them. There have been maybe 5 games in Allen's Liverpool career where he has actually calmed the game down and kept possession for us, changing the outcome of the game. I'm not talking about when he's brought on to "see the game out". I'm talking about making an impact that we desperately need. I like the lad, I really appreciate his attitude - he works hard and he never complains. However, we can do a lot better in the market. Someone to replace Gerrard is needed and Allen isn't that man for me. Remember, he's 24. At this age many of the worlds top midfielders are at the top of their game and are only a few years away from their peak. For me, it's just that - we want him to do well so much, that we oversee the fact that he hasn't done that so far. I'd like someone like Xhaka to come in. Strong, fast, can pass the ball forward, sideways and backwards (not just the latter two). It would give our midfield a bit more dynamicism that could relieve pressure on the defence.
IMO, he has two world class standard attributes; engine and pressing. Is that enough to be a top top player? IMO no. That's not me saying he's **** at everything else, just that he needs to improve in other areas.
There are certain players that will never get the credit they deserve. Now I'm not saying Allen is world class or anything but a lot of midfielders don't get the credit unless they run around like a mad man and making 10 slide tackles a game (Scott Parker for example) or his a few 50 yard passes a game and score a 30 yard free kick etc. In this Country, we are still obsessed with speed and power and athletic ability and those things are far easier to see than tactics to the average supporter. Don't get me wrong, not saying I have a brilliant untapped tactical mind or anything, but Rodger's clearly has a much better understanding of coaching football than all of us here and he sees qualities in Allen that a lot of us don't. As has been previously mentioned, his movement on and off the ball is top class and him along with Henderson allow us to pressure the ball further up the field. It's all well and good having 3 World Class individual midfielders but if they can't work well in a team together and aren't tactically aware they can easily get outclassed. Having 3 players who bring different qualities in that midfield are what is important. If you had 3 Gerrard's, or 3 Lucas' or 3 Allen's they wouldn't work, but get a nice mixture and they can ure as hell be very effective as we've seen. He's played well in some of our best performances this season (City, Spurs,, United) which is no coincidence. Some players are destined to never quite get the credit, Flanagan seems to be another it seems, a player who has been our most consistent defender since he came back into the team.
