Joe Allen season 2013-14

[doctor_mac]

Rightly, he was held to have been a let-down last season after moving for 15m. The 'Welsh Xavi' tag went from an exciting prophecy to a bitter joke. What impresses me is the fact that he has responded like a player with heart, not like Downing. He has said in the attached interview that he was disappointed in himself, and that he is going to put things right this season. It wasn't like Downing's 'what's the problem?' attitude, it is 'I can and must do better'. Who thinks he has it in him?

“That is the most difficult thing to deal with as a player, when you are not reaching the levels that you know you can and that you previously have,” he says.
“It’s tough but it comes with the territory of being a player at Liverpool. You have to deal with it and get through it.
“It was the first time in my career where I had a situation like that. You can’t put your finger on why things aren’t going as smoothly as they should be but you have to learn to cope. It’s a difficult balance.
“If you are not playing well, it affects things, you know? It hurts. It affects everything about you. That was the biggest learning curve I have had and I feel much better equipped to deal with things now.”
He adds: “My challenge is to get back playing at the level I was at early last season. That’s the plan.
“I managed to hit the ground running when I first signed.
“Things didn’t carry on like that but from the first minute this season I want to give my best and produce good performances for the team.
“This is a fresh start and I’m looking forward to playing a big part.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...ews/liverpool-fc-midfielder-joe-allen-5672173

 

[Mors]

I like him, I think he's a good footballer, and the weekend he played very well further up the pitch. He seems a good lad and will turn it round.
My only problem with him isn't his attitude, it's his place - where does he fit in? It seems Lucas and Gerrard are gimmie's, so does he play in the AM role? Is he even suited to that?

 

[keniget]

I'm glad he's got the right attitude and recognizes that things weren't good enough last season.

For me it'll be a real bonus if we proves himself to a real asset because at the moment I have to admit that he doesn't really enter my thoughts that much when looking ahead to this season.

A player that does the job Allen is meant to do is very important to what Rodgers is trying to build so we do need him to deliver.

 

[Insignificance]

He was poor last season. Extremelly dissapointing. However he looked more energic in the weekend. Maybe he lifts his game this campaign. The drawback is the immense backing he has from the manager.... Welsh Xavi he ain't.

 

[doctor_mac]

I think when we play with 2 midfielders sitting he seems to be more naturally suited to playing as one of the sitters, rather than the MF with more license to get forward (although against Olympiakos he was clearly tasked with pushing on). As Mors says, can he really be more of an attacking and creative force in the team? There were some who wrongly had him pegged as a between the lines AM before he came, it will be interesting to see if he can start fulfilling this role, or alternatively, make Lucas surplus to requirements in games where we only want one player to sit and shield the defence.

 

[Ryan]

Really good footballer. Got absolutely no worries about Joe Allen.

 

[FoxForceFive]

His biggest issue currently is Gerrard. Stevie has dropped further back & lucas plays as a dm, so Allen can't play right in the centre where I think he dictates play from.

That said he looked good pushing forwards so often in the testimonial, so perhaps he can adapt his play to that role successfully, becoming a lot more dynamic in the process.

 

[ILD]

I think Joe is great and will be great for us. Standing by him and hope he hits the ground running this season.

 

[Leo]

He didn't turn shite overnight.
Many factors contributed to his poor later season form.
I'm convinced he's a very good footballer but whether it's with Liverpool is another matter.

 

[Squiggles]

He was playing like a £15M midfielder in the first two months of the season. I expect him to show that form again for a far more sustained period.

 

[gkmacca]

I still think he's a really clever player who has the potential to invest the midfield with a bit more wit and fluidity (I know that sounds like he tells jokes and then pisses himself, but I'm sure you know what I mean). I was completely bemused by his performances last season, but hopefully he'll be back to his best this time round. He has great vision, thinks really quickly and he could act like a metronome for the whole team's passing game if he regains his confidence.

 

[OLD_Lewy]

Really good footballer. Got absolutely no worries about Joe Allen.

do you really think he was good enough last season though?

 

[gkmacca]

Me? No, not really, after the first month or so, but, as I said, he was bewilderingly below his best.

 

[the_khl]

I have faith in him still, as been said obviously a tidy player with potential.

He really needs to score more goals and last week was a step in the right direction (although he missed a few sitters too). Make himself available through deep runs and hit a few shots from outside the area (has he scored from outside the box with Swansea)?

We can't have, at least not imo, two central midfielders in Allen and Lucas that never, or at least very rarely, chips in. We've tried that path before with Masher and Lucas and it was one of the most frustrating midfield pairings to watch - for several reasons mind you.

Still can Allen find the form from the start of his Liverpool career and then build from there, he could still be worth every penny and more.

The main worry for me is where to play him. He is certainly not a DM as proved a few times last Season, central midfielder with box-to-box work ratio perhaps? That should probably still be Gerrard imo so perhaps he'll be given a few chances as an AM? No matter what, apart from taking part in our build-up play, make us tick, he still needs to possess more of a goal threat.

Where do posters who rates him the most believe he should play?

 

[gkmacca]

Ideally he's the one who gets the ball from Lucas and then plays the ball forward. In ancient times, Shankly used a player called Peter Cormack in a position that would suit Allen, not centre midfield but just ahead, taking the ball into attacking areas and choreographing the forward play. Cormack wasn't really appreciated that much by the fans but he was responsible for a lot of the success that Keegan and Toshack had, timing his passes to both of them. Allen's a much better player than Cormack and more versatile, but he's at his best in a similarly progressive position.

 

[the_khl]

Out of curiosity, how many assists did he get to his name last Season?

 

[Leo]

The type of midfield position he likes is kind of the floating midfielder type aka Gundogan or Marchisio.
Not as good as those two obviously but he's very capable of keeping an attack flowing properly in a well set up team.

 

[Dirkus_Circus]

Like most foreigners it typically takes a season to fully bed down and get accustomed to life in England. No different for Allen coming from Wales and all. It's hard enough just trying to pick up the language.

 

[Ryan]

do you really think he was good enough last season though?

First 3 or 4 months yeah, 2nd half of the season no.

 

[dee]

Shankly used a player called Peter Cormack in a position that would suit Allen, not centre midfield but just ahead, taking the ball into attacking areas and choreographing the forward play. Cormack wasn't really appreciated that much by the fans but he was responsible for a lot of the success that Keegan and Toshack had

That is not my memory of Peter Cormack, he registered as a steady eddy and my attention was always on Crazy Horse or Ray Kennedy (now there's a midfielder!).

 

[Stulikesdrums]

Keniget's post nailed it for me.
It'd be great to see him chip in with goals too.

 

[Dahuge]

He is a tidy footballer nothing more, he doesn't have the guile to play behind the striker nor does he have the composure to score enough goals. He isn't strong enough to play next to Lucas in a DM type of role, personally his signing whilst not a bad one was a waste of 15 million as other areas should have been strengthened first.

 

[Insignificance]

He was good for the first 3 games last season... And then utterly shit for the rest of it. Why it happened is a mystery.