Liverpool transfer and an unimpressive start
The summer of 2014 saw Adam Lallana move up North to join Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, who were on a high following an unexpected title challenge in the just concluded 2013/14 season. He cost the Reds £25m, making him the most expensive incoming transfer for the club during the window.
On one hand, fans and experts debated if an overpriced Englishman from lowly Southampton was worth the money while others cried out for a marquee transfer to replace Luis Suarez who had swapped Spain for Merseyside.
Lallana’s start to his Liverpool career was far from rosy, to say the least. He was ruled out for six weeks as a consequence of an injury suffered during the Reds’ preseason tour, thereby missing the initial round of games in the league.
Liverpool blitzed past opponents the previous season and fans expected more of the same but the 2014/15 season was largely disappointing. Suarez was missed but others didn’t step up either; there was a dearth of goals and Daniel Sturridge was going through the worst injury nightmare of his career.
This led to blame games as newcomers were expected to contribute to results instantly. Needless to say, Lallana became the softest of targets, especially as he came with Premier League experience.
The price tag and some attack-oriented statistics have often been used as a marker to underscore his perceived ineffectiveness in an underperforming Liverpool team. After all, there was precious little output from him to justify such a massive outlay, it was said.
He scored a few crucial goals – five in the league and three assists to boot – but Liverpool needed much more. He was required to score in double figures and create some more as an attacking midfielder; Lallana had fallen short of expectations and as is the norm, found himself swiftly out of favour among the Anfield faithful.
It was conveniently ignored that whenever the ex-Saints captain got some rhythm going and was in fine form, his run was cruelly disrupted – first by a hamstring and then a groin injury.
Liverpool finished the season in 6th place - far from title challengers, they did not even make the top 4.
The 2015/16 season started off in equally uneventful fashion with the Reds managing just 12 points in 8 Premier League games. The pressure finally got to Brendan Rodgers who was asked to leave, following the 1-1 stalemate in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Jurgen Klopp took charge at Liverpool on 8th October, 2015 and his arrival was seen as the beginning of the end for some players, especially the then 27-year-old Adam Lallana and his former Southampton teammate Dejan Lovren.
Poch keeping the faith
Following Klopp’s appointment, erstwhile Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was asked an interesting question about his former charge Adam Lallana’s Liverpool future to which he emphatically responded thus:
'Lallana is a great, unbelievable player, one of the best in England. Lallana can adapt his skill to different styles. For me he is one of the best players in England.'
The Argentine’s comment and show of faith indicate how highly he continued to rate Lallana despite parting ways with the Reds midfielder more than 18 months ago then.
