I'd like to see Allen get a run of games now. I thought he was decent last night and I'd like to see him alongside Lucas where he has more license to push further up the field, but let's be honest he's never going to come in and be a world beater straight away, he needs a sustained run of games to sharpen up but I'm going to be controversial here and say I prefer Allen as a player to Henderson. With Sturridge out I'd much rather see Gerrard pushed up in to the AM role just behind Suarez, with Coutinho and Aspas/Sterling/Moses/Alberto playing off them both. Suarez is world class, but we do have other quality players who can play in and around him but the sort of form Suarez is in makes you forget that some times.
Na he won't be a world beater But I do think he can cement his place if given a consistent run of games.
Allen just isn't good enough. He's now a mature player in Premiership terms so he's unlikely to make any further great improvement. He can shuffle the ball about. He's no great tackler. He's no great creative genius. He doesn't have blinding pace. He is, at best, a squad player. That may be harsh but I believe it's true. At this moment we need to find the next Lucas and Gerrard. It is for certain that Allen fits neither role. So, to my mind iless we are really lucky in January he's a keeper for this season and a culler in the Summer.
Unfortunately, we can't afford not to have Henderson in the team - that's because he's carrying others in midfield. This is part of the problem - we have to accommodate a technically limited player purely because he has energy. Sounds harsh.
To say he won't improve is ridiculous. Allen is only 23 - I wouldn't call that mature, and he's only had 1.5 seasons in the Premiership (1 for Swansea and an injury plagued season for LFC). His style is one where you get better with experience - look at Xavi, Pirlo, Iniesta who didn't really come into the limelight until their mid-late 20's.
Luca Modric is the perfect player Allen should strive to replicate, not Lucas nor Gerrard. I'm not saying he will, I just want him to be given a run of games to prove he can.
****ing hell! My eldest was round last night, so I didn't go to watch the match. I got a text from my reporter mate, who was obviously at Anfield. It just said "****ing watch MOTD". I phoned him and asked why. He said you're 3 - 0 up now, Suarez all three, but the first and the third are out of this world. He wasn't ****ing wrong. The free kick wasn't bad either
Rubbish! What has he actually shown that he can offer? I stick by my contention that apart from ball - shuffling he has nothing to offer. A limited player with limited specialist skills.
I think his 3rd was the best. Says it all when a 40 yarder and a peach of a free kick aren't the best goals in a game ...
If the team perform like that again and Suarez isn't on form, we will not win Saturday. Anyone know why sakho doesn't play?? Aspas should be ahead of sterling too.
In a team which currently gives the ball away quite frequently i.e. Gerrard, Johnson etc, sometimes you need someone who can just do the simple things and keep the ball. We also need someone who is always looking for space to run into and create an option for someone - this helps relieve pressure. It's not glamorous and it's not a visible attribute like Stevie's 60 yard passes or Suarez's skills and tricks but it's still important. Not saying he's a starter but he's not as bad as some are making out. But how can you say he won't improve? How can you say he's mature?? Like I said, he's only 23, only had 1 full season in the PL for Swansea and a disrupted career at LFC. Similar players to him also shine as they get older towards their late 20's. I heard that Sakho isn't 100% - but after Agger's mistake, I think he could be starting. And Aspas isn't fully fit either. Would have liked to have seen him for 20-30 mins though.
Yep. The third was probably technically the best, but you can't really moan about his technique with any of the ****ers. Who was MOTM, by the way?
Quite frankly, you could swap Hendo and Allen all day as it won't make a blind bit of difference. Allen, short pass , short pass, gives ball away, over run without the ball. Outmuscled on it. Henderson, "I'm on the run to nowhere", couple of ****, off target shots....looks up to find all the engine in the world doesn't matter because he's so far out of play to be pointless. Both young and both have possibilities of improvement but I personally doubt by much. It's like Dave said about the Shelvey/Allen debate....academic, they're both average and don't belong in a PL winning or even CL qualifying side. They both may end up in one this year but it won't be because of their efforts.
Agree - decent squad players to have, nothing more (at this moment in time). But both are young with plenty of time of improve.
Wake up JS. What the hell has Allen shown that he has in his locker that makes him have future potential? I really don't see anything in his play that makes him unique and worthy of a place in a midfield that we all want to see develop until it becomes the best in the world. As for his age, it's immaterial. We keep Sterling because he shows glimpses of what he might develop into. We encourage Ford because we can see what he is capable of becoming. We buy Illori because he has shown (elsewhere) that he could be one for the future. But Allen does not offer the same possibility.
And to continue the negativity just once more, Johnson.....becoming more and more pointless with each match. Cut in lose ball, cut in smash shot against opponent, turn and watch as opponents canter down empty wing he's no longer in as he's you guessed it: cut in. When he is back in defence, pretends he's jockeying but from 10 yards away so the opponent can place their cross under no pressure or drive at Johnson who is always a step behind.
Johnson is certainly a weak point at the moment. I'm alone in thinking his best period of consistency was when he was covering at LB?
