Joe Pirlo Allen (Liverpool -> Stoke)

So starting to look better on the injury front.

Please never say this just before an International Break ever again, you know the luck we have with our players and playing International, we also lose at least a couple of players.

When is he coming back?

We need him desperately - he shuts out attacks incredibly well ala Tottenham. Offers so much pressing and energy of the side - a fantastic little player.

Anyone who thinks he's sh*t shouldn't be supporting this club.

Think Allen Henderson Lallana would be a great midfield three to have. All hard working and neat when with possession.

Hope he makes it happen when his fit again.

Think Allen Henderson Lallana would be a great midfield three to have. All hard working and neat when with possession.

Hope he makes it happen when his fit again.

Was just coming in here to say I'd replace Sterling with Allen for at least a game...Sterling needs to sort himself out...he's still dangerous at times but most of the time today he was a passenger or doing the other team's job for them giving the ball away.

Was just coming in here to say I'd replace Sterling with Allen for at least a game...Sterling needs to sort himself out...he's still dangerous at times but most of the time today he was a passenger or doing the other team's job for them giving the ball away.

Gerrard

Henderson       Allen

Lallana

Gerrard

Henderson       Allen

Lallana

Works for me Si.

A midfield 3 of Lucas, Henderson, Allen.

Lucas shouldn't be anywhere near the first team.

Lucas shouldn't be anywhere near the first team.

Exactly .

It'll be great having the having Allen back, I've said he's a good player when people have slated him constantly on here.
However... I'm a bit scared at the way everyone is expecting him to be the answer all of a sudden, i.e he'll come back in the team and the bad organisation and defensive mistakes will all of a sudden cease to be.
Absence makes the heart grow way fonder than it should be.

It'll be great having the having Allen back, I've said he's a good player when people have slated him constantly on here.
However... I'm a bit scared at the way everyone is expecting him to be the answer all of a sudden, i.e he'll come back in the team and the bad organisation and defensive mistakes will all of a sudden cease to be.
Absence makes the heart grow way fonder than it should be.

I agree mate good player, but all our players injured end being world class, a bit more perspective needed all round.

I think Allen has become a more important player over the past 6 months. Doesn't mean he'll always play but I think he gives Rodgers tactical flexibility in that he functions very well on the left side of the diamond but is also more than comfortable anywhere in a midfield 3. He gives a level of control and stability which is obviously important particularly away from home. Be good to have him back

I'm very excited for both Allen and Can to return to the fold. With Lallana finding his form and hendo taking his game up a level we will have some very solid options in the middle so that we don't have to be so heavily reliant on Stevie.

What is the prurpose of this lad I ask?

Was nowehere in defense all night last night and was horrendously ineffective when he found himself in positions around their box. Got muscled off the ball way too easily for the third conceding posession that lead to a corner and us conceding the third.

Seems to always slip under the radar this lad and he's injury record for us is fukn horrendous I read somewhere it has been 7 injuries since ha has joined us Agger and Sturridnge get branded with the made of glass tag but this lad is up there too.

What is the prurpose of this lad I ask?

Was nowehere in defense all night last night and was horrendously ineffective when he found himself in positions around their box. Got muscled off the ball way too easily for the third conceding posession that lead to a corner and us conceding the third.

Seems to always slip under the radar this lad and he's injury record for us is fukn horrendous I read somewhere it has been 7 injuries since ha has joined us Agger and Sturridnge get branded with the made of glass tag but this lad is up there too.

Was it not his first start this season and coming back from his injury a bit unfair mate but I understand the sentiment.

What is the prurpose of this lad I ask?

Was nowehere in defense all night last night and was horrendously ineffective when he found himself in positions around their box. Got muscled off the ball way too easily for the third conceding posession that lead to a corner and us conceding the third.

Seems to always slip under the radar this lad and he's injury record for us is fukn horrendous I read somewhere it has been 7 injuries since ha has joined us Agger and Sturridnge get branded with the made of glass tag but this lad is up there too.

With you all day long fella .

Was it not his first start this season and coming back from his injury a bit unfair mate but I understand the sentiment.

It was his first start, the frustrating thing  is it has always been stop start with this lad I don't think I recall the lad being available for selection in more than 5 matches.

I still don't know what his role is, he was brought in here to be the one to reclycle posession and keep the play ticking but now seems to be pushed further up the park and is consistently poor at holding the ball up and does not seem to have the vision for a defense splitting pass.

It was his first start, the frustrating thing  is it has always been stop start with this lad I don't think I recall the lad being available for selection in more than 5 matches.

I still don't know what his role is, he was brought in here to be the one to reclycle posession and keep the play ticking but now seems to be pushed further up the park and is consistently poor at holding the ball up and does not seem to have the vision for a defense splitting pass.

I agree. I think I remember him collecting the ball just outside the opponents half and he took way too many touches and it got stolen. Ball should have left his feet after a couple of seconds.

I agree. I think I remember him collecting the ball just outside the opponents half and he took way too many touches and it got stolen. Ball should have left his feet after a couple of seconds.

Too be fair non of our midfielders have the same technical ability of the Real midfielders and a lack of confidence does not help.

Too be fair non of our midfielders have the same technical ability of the Real midfielders and a lack of confidence does not help.

I guess so but Madrid players aside, Coutinho, Lallana and Sterling do not dally on the ball for long in a spot unless they are looking for something to happen.

I guess so but Madrid players aside, Coutinho, Lallana and Sterling do not dally on the ball for long in a spot unless they are looking for something to happen.

I think Coutinho and Raheem have both been guilty of losing the ball to easily and frequently this season but that's mostly down to the lack of movement around them.
Notice how Real only needed one touch to move the ball forward due to excellent movement off the ball. All that comes from extreme confidence in your ability and fundamentally having the skill set.

I think that is the way Brendan wants us to evolve but injuries, bedding in new players and drop in form has stalled our progression this season.
It will come but probably not until Sturridge is back and we get individuals playing together regularly.

Back to Allen he is very accomplished player at what he does but the whole unit needs to click otherwise individual errors are magnified.

he again looked like a headless chicken, the bench should be his place to cement this season, let alone he never was lpool material in the first place, doesnt tackle, doesnt pass, at least lucas did 1 thing good

I really don't get the obsession with Joe Allen.  When he's out injured he apparently is the reason we have no cohesion in midfield.  But when he is in the team, what does he do exactly?  I mean can you name me one game, just one, ever, where Joe Allen has actually taken the game by the scruff of the neck and said "right, let's go win this" and taken the ball and gone forward and tried to make something happen?  The only one I can think of that ever came close was that Europa League game a couple of seasons back, against Zenit, where we needed to thump them by 5 goals or something.  He did pretty well that game.  But other than that he just sort of blends in.

He had a decent start to his career here, some good games in the first half of his first season, but since then he's been just about ok.  Not great, not sh*te, but just.... a body on the pitch.  He's always compared to Modric but did you actually see the REAL Modric (no pun intended) on Wednesday?  same type of player, in theory, yet Modric, you know, actually.... tries to make things happen.  Whereas Joseph seems perfectly content just not doing anything wrong.

Today I saw a lot of him getting the ball, dancing around to see if he could find an easy pass forward, then tapping it back to Lovren or sideways to Can or Stevie.  I mean.... f**king hell.  Go forward and do something lad.  At least Can got his head up and made some runs. 

Look Joe Allen is not the biggest problem we have right now.  But I just fail to see how his absence really was some sort of catalyst for our problems.  He's back now and we pretty much look the same in midfield.  He hasn't done anything wrong but he rarely ever does anything right.

Lots of sideways passing and too little production for me. Baffling decision to start him ahead of Couts.