Doing everything at an average level isn't a job... He can press and run around, but he's certainly not creative (comparing him to Henderson or Milner when he plays CM doesn't make him creative, just better than them) to be in the CAM role and he's not strong enough or big enough to be the sole DM. That leaves him as a jack of all trades central midfielder. That's not a bad thing, but it makes him a squad filler. Someone to bring on to calm a game down - he'll never come on and take the game by the scruff of the neck, will he? - when we've got a good lead. Failing that, he's a good option to have when we want to rest key players and need someone with a bit of experience in there. Starter? No chance. Not good enough. Keep him? Yeah, if he wants to stay in a rotational role. There are others I'd sell first. But he's nothing special and the 'job' he does isn't specialised either. There are tonnes of players who do it and better.
Plenty are capable of sitting on a bench mate I actually like Allen, I just don't see his future at Liverpool
In his entire career Joe Allen has never not been available for a pass lost the ball without being fouled
What about Sunday when he passed to a Watford striker in our own half without a Watford player near him?
That was a trap to win the ball back and counter Joe Allen knows where the ball is at all times, and at all times the ball is where Joe Allen wants
I've answered yes, because I think we should keep him and he is a very good player to have as part of an 18 man squad. I don't think he'll be here at the start of next season though, sadly. He needs, and deserves, more minutes than he's been getting under Klopp. People saying he won't come on and change a game though? When he came on Vs Dortmund we were 3-1 down...
Not true. There are many occasions where there's an opposition player between him and the player with the ball. He's frequency available for the second pass though, as part of a triangle. I watched City/Real last week and spent most of the game watching Modric move the ball and his body around. The difference between his movement and Allen's is night and day. Modric was constantly making 5-10yard accelerations behind or in front of that middle opposition player to create the angle for the pass, whilst Allen rarely does. I even saw Pepe sprint 10yards forward into space so that he could bail out Calvahal (sp) by giving him an available pass so he didn't need to play it long - this also gave him the alternative of being able to pass back to the keeper as well if he wanted to, but chose not to. Allen's grown on me this season, but he's not the intelligent, always available player people make him out to me - at least not even close to the top players in the world and that's why we can and should find better long term and why he'll never be a starter.
Yes. Done enough this year to get a new contract. Played well when I've seen him. As a sub he's often improved the team.
He may well do that but for the time being its better the devil you know. We've got others to flog first and Joe is good back up.
The devil's I know are lucas allen moreno skertl.... henderson... I cannot wait to see klopp cull the herd.
I agree. I am usually pretty brutal which doesn't always win me fans on here! There is a lot of dead wood and just not that great players kicking around. But for the moment at least I see benefit in keeping him here. We need some back up players while Klopp gets in the better players. Tbf to Allen he has been pretty good this year. Not top 4 quality but he has his uses as a backup.
Allen presses well, breaks up the opposition play, makes interceptions, makes good forward passes, consistently makes himself available for a pass and often gets into the box to help attacks. Who else (apart from Milner) do you have that does all of these things? My guess is he will get a contract.
