Liverpool have looked impressive in the season, of course, barring their howler of a performance against Burnley. With no European commitments in the current season, the least the clubs’ fans expect of the side is a top 4 finish and a piece of silverware in the cups, something that has eluded them for close to 5 years now.
While the side’s latest recruit Sadio Mane is being heaped with the deserved praise, a number of players in the squad from the previous season are now beginning to demonstrate their abilities and one such player is the English midfielder Adam Lallana. Having moved from Southampton in the summer of 2014 in a big money believed to be in the region of £25 million, the player endured a tough start to life at the Merseyside.
However, the appointment of Jurgen Klopp seems to have worked as a catalyst in his re-emergence as one of the top midfielders in the league.
Impressive performance in the later stages of the previous season
Despite the expectations that surrounded his arrival at the club, Adam Lallana failed to impress in his first season owing to numerous injuries which curtailed his playing time and in the process made it tough for him to adapt to life at a new club. His tendency to do a tad too much on the ball rather than keep it simple also drew a lot of criticism from the footballing fraternity and often overshadowed his abilities as a footballer.
The same player who had been at the heart of Southampton’s emergence as a top club in England was reduced to being just another squad player at a bigger club and many questioned the club’s decision to pay a fee in excess of £25 million for a squad player. After having a troubled 18 months under Brendan Rodgers, the arrival of Jurgen Klopp seems to have infused the much-needed confidence in him and Lallana has definitely looked a better ever since.
Possessing an ability to make defence-splitting passes and make his way past the opposition with his silky movement and great close control, the player has never been short of creative attributes. However, even the greatest attribute of his game suffered at times in the recent past. Having created almost a chance a game during his debut season with the club, he bettered his performance in the previous season under Klopp and established himself as a creative lynchpin at the club.
While he might not have been able to reach the double-digit mark in terms of goal scored at Anfield, he looks poised to do the same in the current season, given his side’s attacking abilities so far. He has forged a fine partnership with the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino and Liverpool’s campaign would benefit immensely from its attacking unit establishing itself as one of the most lethal ones in the league.
Often deployed amongst the front three in the past, Lallana’s position has been tweaked at Liverpool, with him featuring as the left-sided midfielder at the club. To our pleasant surprise, he has taken to the position like a duck to water. He is calm in possession, has an ability to bring the ball out of defence and into the attacking third whilst also being tidy in possession and passing. This is making him one of the first names on the Liverpool team sheet these days.
Development as a midfielder
Another aspect of his game that has impressed a number of fans and critics is his improved work rate. The player was being criticised for not putting his body on the line for the greater benefit of his team in the past. However, he seems to have put the criticism behind him and was even his side’s hardest working player on the pitch during the recent games against Leicester, where he covered a total distance of 13.1 Kms, the farthest by anyone in a league game so far.
He has even added to the steel of his side’s midfield, having developed a penchant for making crucial tackles, interceptions and occasionally, even harmless fouls to disrupt the rhythm of the position. Touted to be the show pony, who had a liking for twisting and turning rather than being direct in the past, Lallana’s decision making as a player seems to have improved, a trait that has helped him become a vital cog in the wheel for the Jurgen Klopp led unit.
The biggest area of concern with regards to his game remains his positional sense. He lacks defensive discipline and has a tendency to wander from his position, creating space for the opposition. While he has managed to contain the opposition by making some vital blocks and tackles after being caught out of position, he will need to tweak his game to ensure that his deficiency does not cost his side in the long run.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2018-19 season, it is being rumoured that the hierarchy at Liverpool is ready to offer him a contract extension by the end of the current year. While he might be 30 years of age by the time his current contract expires, his experience will play a vital role under Jurgen Klopp for at least a few more years and the move to extend his contract is a sound one by the club.
