Liverpool FC Forum

[JC_81]

In the early months of the season Allen looked like he was going to be a great signing.  His passing was very crisp and he always seemed to pick the right option.  He also looked useful in predicting where the opposition were going to put the ball and intercepting it.

The wheels have come off big style, partly due to a loss of form/confidence, partly due to carrying injury, but also partly because teams figured out how to nullify him and when Lucas came back from injury he got pushed slightly further forward.  Suddenly instead of looking good taking the ball off the centre back and knocking it about, he was receiving the ball slightly higher up the pitch while under pressure from opposition.  Opposing teams realised that by going in hard on him and knocking him around was a good way of winning possession back from us.

For me he needs to adapt his game about and toughen up if he's going to make it here.  I haven't seen enough character from him yet, which for me is where he differs from Lucas and Henderson who always showed heart even when having a stinker.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

he`ll probably turn into a decent player but rodgers really over rates him.
unlike brendan i dont think he has the passing game to be a AM and he`s certainly not the welsh xavi.
he could potentially be a good DM though.

[devaney]

Just how good was Allen in his first few games for Liverpool?

In Liverpool's first 13 Premiership games of the season we won just 3 of those matches. To make matters worse those three wins were against Norwich,Reading and Wigan who are close to the dregs of the Premiership. Two of those teams will probably be relegated.

At the beginning of the season BR was using the kids and it clearly didn't work. Was Allen a bit of a standout during a period of extremely mediocre performances? I also thought that early doors he looked really good but now I am questioning my own judgement. The stats clearly show that the most of his successful passes were less than 10 yards and either sideways or backwards. Joe does seem somewhat lightweight and is a country mile away from the likes of Mascherano. I just hope he recovers well and proves to be a much greater asset next season.

[Ben Patrick]

I honestly think alot are going to be proved wrong with this lad next season.

I'm nailing my cards to the table, he will be a success and when this thread is revisited this time next season i will be saying i told you so 

[redno7]

I honestly think alot are going to be proved wrong with this lad next season.

I'm nailing my cards to the table, he will be a success and when this thread is revisited this time next season i will be saying i told you so 

I'll have a tenner on that 

[devaney]

I honestly think alot are going to be proved wrong with this lad next season.

I'm nailing my cards to the table, he will be a success and when this thread is revisited this time next season i will be saying i told you so 

I seriously hope you are right. BR worked with him at Swansea and obviously rates him. There must be more there than we have seen for most of this season.

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

I honestly think alot are going to be proved wrong with this lad next season.

I'm nailing my cards to the table, he will be a success and when this thread is revisited this time next season i will be saying i told you so 

                                                                   ^
                                                                   ^
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                                                                   ^
                                                                 This

[laza]

I honestly think alot are going to be proved wrong with this lad next season.

I'm nailing my cards to the table, he will be a success and when this thread is revisited this time next season i will be saying i told you so 

Amen   

[woof woof !]

Yeah but this --------> "I'm nailing my cards to the table" was funnier.

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

Yeah but this --------> "I'm nailing my cards to the table" was funnier.

Anyone who brings their own hammer is a serious card player.

[Scottbot]

I'd advise everyone to have a re-read of this thread dunring the early part oif the season when it comes to Joe. Everyone was singing his praises for those first 6-8 weeks of the season and i was one of them, I was also desperate to sign the lad form the moment BR got the manager job. I didn't get to many games last season but i did go the 1st home game against City and i spent half the match talking to the lads around me about how good Joe Allen was. The bravery to get on the ball in tight spaces, the effortless close control and awareness of team mates plus his ability to turn and swivel as he addressed the ball were all first class. He looked an absolute gem and was being universally acclaimed by LFC fans (even the ones who bitched about him for the remainder of the season) so there is no reason to bang the nails into Joe's Anfield career just yet.

What has/did change over the course of the season which has made Joe's position a little different is the role that BR sees for Gerrard. The balance of our midfield changed somewhat as the season progressed. I think that Rodgers initial thoughts were to play Lucas as the holder/wrecker, Allen as the metronome with Gerrard in the more rampaging role heb is known for. With Lucas getting injured early in the season we saw Joe drop back into the deep role (alongside Stevie) and he excelled in the role for the first 8-10 games. Stevie obviously slotted into the metronome role as the 2nd deep  midfielder and got better and better as the season went on. I think Joe's problems started in a couple of games when he was asked to play further forward and it simply didn't happen for him and then his confidence seemed to drain.

There are a few challenges for the manager and how he uses Allen next season as I see them:

- As good as Stevie was last season, he isn't as mobile as he once was, he is a bit stiff in the hips and has lost some closing speed when it comes to the defensive stuff. He can still get up a head of speed and pull out a stunning sliding tackle but he isn't the same player in terms of pressing the ball, redirecting/accelerating when he needs to cover. This means that the DM playing alongside Stevie ideally needs to be mobile, quick on his feet and able to cover a lot of ground. Unfortunately these aren't really Joe's best attributes, they aren't exactly Lucas' either but he is better suited to the role so as well as Joe did in the DM role early last season he probably isn't the answer there for as long as Stevie is pulling the strings next to him. 

- So can Joe play the 10 role? Based on what we saw last season I think we would have to say no however, if you watch Allen's play for Swansea the season before last he did play further forward for a good chunk of the season, he scored 4 goals if memory serves me correctly, he also had a few assists and he often dribbled/carried the ball which was something we didn't see so much of last season. I'm hoping we see it next year. I would suggest that if Allen plays as the most advanced middie it could work IF the 3 front players are all likely to drift inside ie. If you played Aspas on the right, Sturridge through the middle and Coutinho on the left.

- I think we will see Allen play a mixture of the 3 midfield spots next season given that he doesn't currently look like he will be first choice for any on e of them BUT I think he has the quality to be a cracking player for LFc for years to come and with a good start to the season and some support from the Kop I think he'll do just fine. I do think he has a lot more in his locker as an attacking player than he showed last season and hopefully we will see some of that.

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

I'd advise everyone to have a re-read of this thread dunring the early part oif the season when it comes to Joe. Everyone was singing his praises for those first 6-8 weeks of the season and i was one of them, I was also desperate to sign the lad form the moment BR got the manager job. I didn't get to many games last season but i did go the 1st home game against City and i spent half the match talking to the lads around me about how good Joe Allen was. The bravery to get on the ball in tight spaces, the effortless close control and awareness of team mates plus his ability to turn and swivel as he addressed the ball were all first class. He looked an absolute gem and was being universally acclaimed by LFC fans (even the ones who bitched about him for the remainder of the season) so there is no reason to bang the nails into Joe's Anfield career just yet.

What has/did change over the course of the season which has made Joe's position a little different is the role that BR sees for Gerrard. The balance of our midfield changed somewhat as the season progressed. I think that Rodgers initial thoughts were to play Lucas as the holder/wrecker, Allen as the metronome with Gerrard in the more rampaging role heb is known for. With Lucas getting injured early in the season we saw Joe drop back into the deep role (alongside Stevie) and he excelled in the role for the first 8-10 games. Stevie obviously slotted into the metronome role as the 2nd deep  midfielder and got better and better as the season went on. I think Joe's problems started in a couple of games when he was asked to play further forward and it simply didn't happen for him and then his confidence seemed to drain.

There are a few challenges for the manager and how he uses Allen next season as I see them:

- As good as Stevie was last season, he isn't as mobile as he once was, he is a bit stiff in the hips and has lost some closing speed when it comes to the defensive stuff. He can still get up a head of speed and pull out a stunning sliding tackle but he isn't the same player in terms of pressing the ball, redirecting/accelerating when he needs to cover. This means that the DM playing alongside Stevie ideally needs to be mobile, quick on his feet and able to cover a lot of ground. Unfortunately these aren't really Joe's best attributes, they aren't exactly Lucas' either but he is better suited to the role so as well as Joe did in the DM role early last season he probably isn't the answer there for as long as Stevie is pulling the strings next to him. 

- So can Joe play the 10 role? Based on what we saw last season I think we would have to say no however, if you watch Allen's play for Swansea the season before last he did play further forward for a good chunk of the season, he scored 4 goals if memory serves me correctly, he also had a few assists and he often dribbled/carried the ball which was something we didn't see so much of last season. I'm hoping we see it next year. I would suggest that if Allen plays as the most advanced middie it could work IF the 3 front players are all likely to drift inside ie. If you played Aspas on the right, Sturridge through the middle and Coutinho on the left.

- I think we will see Allen play a mixture of the 3 midfield spots next season given that he doesn't currently look like he will be first choice for any on e of them BUT I think he has the quality to be a cracking player for LFc for years to come and with a good start to the season and some support from the Kop I think he'll do just fine. I do think he has a lot more in his locker as an attacking player than he showed last season and hopefully we will see some of that.

Good post Scott

[damjan193]

Had a man of the match performance yesterday. It was a friendly but it was still worth noticing.

I think if Allen can't make an impact until the summer, he needs to leave. But I also believe that he deserves a chance to play until then, especially in this midfield of ours.

[metalhead]

I honestly think alot are going to be proved wrong with this lad next season.

I'm nailing my cards to the table, he will be a success and when this thread is revisited this time next season i will be saying i told you so 

Not looking good so far for him mate, he is 4th choice with us right now and I think Rodgers is starting to doubt him

[Red Focus]

A useless player who cost us 3 points today. I pray and hope we've seen the last of this fella. BR made some useless signings in Assaidi, Borini etc but Allen is the WORST of them all. What a  total and utter waste of 15 M. Unfortunately he is BR's favourite pet and has been given time to prove himself and he blew it today. Send him back to Swansea please.