WHY ADAM LALLANA’S RETURN TO ACTION CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH
Oliver Bond
We take a look at how sorely the former Southampton captain is being missed and why his return to the Reds lineup is so eagerly awaited.
The perfect ‘gegenpresser’
In him, Klopp found the perfect man to execute his blueprint and style on the pitch.
Along with Roberto Firmino, Lallana became the embodiment of the German’s famed gegenpressing, hustling the opposition and forcing them to commit errors.
Lining up against teams that defend deep, the Englishman’s presence on the pitch has often made the difference between 3 points and one/none.
Creativity and ball control
Lallana may not have scored as many goals as Philippe Coutinho (14) or assisted as many as Wijnaldum (9) during 2016/17 but the midfielder’s impact has been telling nevertheless.
His technical brilliance and ability to work his socks off for the team have freed up Firmino to take on the mantle of scoring.
Minus Lallana, as is the case at the moment, the Brazilian is forced to drop down deeper – more often than usual – to ensure that the midfield is not overrun.
This means that his runs into the box occur less frequently, and a majority of goal-scoring duties have to be shouldered by Sadio Mané and Mo Salah.
One of the key reasons why Liverpool – and Firmino – are finding goals harder to come by is owing to this.
Dynamism and partnership
One of the primary reasons the Reds were/are able to plunder goals in Klopp’s system is the fluidity in their attack.
With Coutinho still not fully fit and Lallana injured, 50% of last season’s frontline are out of the equation.
While Salah has indeed hit the ground running, Firmino and Mané had an almost telepathic understanding with Lallana and Coutinho.
The four interchanged positions at will, making it impossible for anyone to mark them; it also enabled them to get behind the opponents’ defence easily.
This dynamism and innate understanding, where no-look passes and dummies resulted in goal and made the Reds a joy to watch is now absent.
The point is not to undermine the current attacking lineup; on their day, they are unbeatable. However, when patience to break down the opposition becomes key or retaining possession in midfield is vital, the reliable and reassuring presence of Lallana is called for.
Leadership skills
He is loud and vocal, and never shies away from a tackle. If it results in conflict, he can be counted upon to stand up – not just for himself but for his teammates as well.
Key man’s return eagerly awaited
The key factor for Lallana under Klopp has been the manager’s ability to get the best out of him. It is clear as daylight that when the German said he has followed the Englishman for a while, he meant it.
The former Dortmund boss knew the best position to play the Reds number 20 at and his trust in the player translated to the latter’s confidence and performances.
Liverpool miss the Englishman’s versatility, creativity, energy and leadership; the fact that no one player in the squad can be a direct substitute for him just makes it worse.
The news of his return to light training/running outside has been received a tremendous reception from fans. His reintegration to the first team is eagerly awaited and could not come soon enough.