The £26m summer signing will prove his worth despite a slow start…
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Adam Lallana put in an excellent performance to help Liverpool beat West Brom on Saturday afternoon, scoring the game’s opening goal and providing a dangerous creative presence throughout.
It was easily his best performance in a Red shirt, and his gradual improvement shows that he might prove to be worth the £26m Liverpool paid for him.
Here’s why he’ll be crucial to Brendan Rodgers’ outfit in 2014/15.
6) His attributes perfectly suits Liverpool’s style
Last term, Liverpool played a quick, exciting brand of football – based on one-twos, counter-attacks and incisive through-balls. Unlike some of Liverpool’s other summer signings (Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli), Lallana recycles the ball quickly, and enjoys playing off one or two touches. He’s not especially fast at full-speed, but he accelerates quickly, meaning he can manoeuvre himself out of tight situations, which is aided by his close-control.
5) Versatility
Brendan Rodgers likes to make sweeping tactical and formation changes during matches. He’s been know to play with wing-backs, with a diamond, or a more conventional 4-3-3.
Lallana can play on either wing, or centrally in a playmaker role, and it’s this ability to interchange positions which will make him an extremely helpful addition for the Reds. Coutinho, Raheem Sterling and Lazar Markovic all share the same traits, so it’s clear that this is an attribute Rodgers demands of his attacking midfielders.
4) Goals
With Luis Suarez no longer a Red, Mario Balotelli struggling to score goals and Daniel Sturridge injury prone, Liverpool need their midfielders to weigh in with goals this season. In Lallana, they have a player more than capable of bagging from inside or outside of the area. He notched nine with Southampton in 2013/14, and will hope to reach a similar figure this time around.
3) He’s hungry and English
Although Luis Suarez was a huge part of Liverpool’s successful formulae last term, the tightly knit group of young, hungry, technically excellent Englishman was the base of the side.
Jon Flanagan, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Joe Allen (yes, we know he’s Welsh…), epitomised this in 2013/14, and the team moral, cohesion and drive led to 100 Premier League goals being scored.
Lallana will be desperate for success having spent time playing in the lower leagues, and he should be able to settle quickly into the group.
2) Lallana is 26-years-old
While the Reds have a number of younger players yet to reach their potential, and Steven Gerrard – who’s past his best, few of the squad are in their prime. Lallana has just entered his, and the best two or three years of his career should be on the horizon.
1) He’ll aid the development of Raheem Sterling
Sterling is arguably already Liverpool’s best player, but he’s still only 19-years-old.
With a Champions League campaign to get through, it’s plausible that Sterling could burn himself out if there wasn’t good players able to play in his position when he needs a break.
Lallana can play in Sterling’s favoured no.10 role, or on the right, enabling Rodgers to take Sterling out of the firing line when he sees fit to help the wonderkid rest and maximise his other-worldly potential.
