I'm still wondering where he'd fit in the system. Right now Henderson is doing a brilliant job in the Attacking mid role and can only get better. Besides Coutinho's far from a finished product to slot straight into midfield, He still needs to improve his passing and decision making. There's also Allen in contention Suarez has moved to LW(which is Coutinho's preferred role), that leaves only the RW, but he hasn't really played there much. There's also Sterling who needs to be given equal game time. If the rumors are true of Ince coming in aswell, that would be too much of depth. Competition for places is good, but too much of it could make the players feel threatened and that wouldn't be good for their progress. I really hope Coutinho turns out good(even though i've not much expectation for him). Sterling and Couts could the future of LFC, never know.
Still not sure what promise Allen has shown other than an 'amazing' 92% pass success rate for passing to his centrebacks Borini at least makes good runs which open up space and Hendo, for all his bad decisions, occasionally made a good forward pass or shot so looked like he had something to build on.
Henderson is still in the same bracket as Allen and Borini for me. Lucas is what they all should be aspiring to
Henderson has improved ALOT this season, and he would've done better last season had kenny not used him in the Wings. And Borini showed those occasional good runs and linkup play. Allen, quite honestly would never cut it here, i see him leaving at some point. He just doesn't have that creativity in him, to split defenses or finish it off himself. He's a good player but if we go a step ahead and make it to the CL, it's a whole different class and frankly he doesn't have what it takes to survive in that league, imagine him starting week in week out against big guns like Barca and Bayern, he'd be embarrassed by the likes of Xavi, iniesta, kroos, Shweins. Even made scholes retire once
Allen was superb early on, he definitely has ability and a first and foremost a great footballing brain I think he'll be a good player for us sometime in the future
Henderson, like Downing, as only had a handful of good quality performances for us. The big difference is their ages. Downing is in his prime, was bought for an immediate impact and isn't going to get any better. Henderson reminds me of Lucas and I think he has the ability to go with the engine, he just needs a bit more time, should he continue in his current role then I see him as a big player (not a key player) for us next season. Allen needs more time, he's only been at the club for four/five months! At the moment, I am struggling to see the player within him like I did with Lucas/Henderson but that doesn't mean its not there, he was superb in his opening four to six games for us
Disagree on your last point - in Europe it's even more about keeping possession (something that even "lesser" teams from smaller countries do better than English teams). He's had a bit of a dip in form recently but he's a good player and someone that can keep possession especially when it comes to the latter stages and instead of hoofing it upfield and defending time over time, he'll allow us to keep the ball and frustrate teams. His main problem is he's not a DM and not an AM to because he's not as good defensively as Lucas or offensively as Gerrard he's seen as useless but in a 3 man midfield with a Lucas & Gerrard (DM & AM) with him he's just what you want.
Although I agree with that, the trio of Allen, Gerrard and Lucas looked poor when we tried it but with Henderson instead of Allen its look a very good midfield combination IMO
Italian media now saying Inter may stop the Coutinho deal as they are unsure if Paulinho would come. If true and I was Liverpool I would consider pulling out. Seems Inter are **** at carrying out business.
That's bloody unprofessional, would be a real shame if they did that. After agreeing terms and the deal almost completed, they pulling the plug now. If i was Iyre i'd be pissed, send them a '**** you' note.
Some slightly harsh comments on Allen I feel. He started off brilliantly as a deep lying midfielder which I think is his best position. I agree to some extent that Allen isn't that creative - rarely makes that defence splitting ball etc. This is why I think he's better suited in a deeper role alongside Lucas. At the start of the season, his ability to control the ball instantly and move it on quickly was fantastic and put the rest of the team to shame IMO. He always provided an outlet for others so if they were in trouble, he would always be in space. He's constantly on the move and is a busy little player. He may not be the biggest and will not win many challenges but he does put himself about and at least try to fight for the ball and I respect that. Players like him tend to peak in their late 20's and 30's. His position requires more speed of thought than speed in his legs - hence the older players will have more experience and game intelligence. The lad is only 22 but I predict a bright future for him. Re. Coutinho - he's a versatile player who can play behind the striker (No. 10) or on the wings. Being two footed is always a bonus and adds to his versatility. I think he will play out on the wing for the time being (rotate with Sterling).
don't know anything about Coutinho and have never seen him play, but i am assuming from the comments, everyone is assuming he will have some impact on our squad for the rest of the season, rather than another ass signing where we never see him again.
And how many players in world football wouldn't? If that's your criteria, we're looking at a short list of about 5 players to buy.
Ofcourse there aren't many who could outclass them, but i'm talking about the gap between them and a certain Allen, massive difference in class innit?
