Out of interest, why do you not rate Can mick?
Note: I'm actually answering this question from another thread (the Lucas transfer one, where I indicated I was happy enough to keep Lucas as I didn't think Can was up to stepping in for Gerrard).
It's definitely a fair question mate, but "not rate" wouldn't be how I'd describe my feelings towards the German. Clearly he has ability and undoubtedly there's potential, but that said I think at this stage it would be fair to say I've been significantly less knocked out by him than most on the forum. It's not that I "don't rate" him, it's just that I think he's very much a work in progress and currently a fair bit off being where he'd need to be in order to be a first choice starter.
My read on Can:
He's obviously a very powerful boy, has a turn of pace on him and is a huge physical presence. He came in and was talked about as being a "holding midfielder" but he looks to more like he's a wannabe box to box player, an all action ball-winner come game changer at this stage. I know (before some genius points it out) that that's how he's been asked to play so far, but I don't see the awareness and anticipation in his game which would enable him to be effective sitting in front of the back four. Nor do I see the crispness of pass, the appreciation of movement required to release the likes of Sterling and/or Coutinho into the little pockets of space they operate in, between the banks of four. It may well come with time (it may take a while) but for me it isn't there yet. He could do a lot worse than watch videos of the likes of Patrick Viera particularly in the latter stages of his career, he'd be more of a prototype of the ex Arsenal man for me than he would be one of Gerrard.
The problem we are going to come against fairly soon is that we have IMHO absolutely nobody in the team who is even slightly similar to Gerrard who can step in when we rest him. That's a surmountable poser as Brendan will change the way we play, but for me it's then imperative that the person stepping in has the necessary snap in their distribution to get the ball into the opposition half nice and quick. Lucas is by far the better option out of the two IMHO, even Joe Allen would be a better option than Can at this stage IMHO.
The issue with the German which is he is going to run up against is what type of midfielder is he eventually going to be, in this Liverpool team? Does he possess the guile of a Sterling, or a Lallana and can force himself in that way? Does he have the running power of a Henderson, or an Allen and can force himself in there? Or can he step in as the holder, does he have the maturity or the awareness? My guess is that for a season or two he's going to be the "why the f*** doesn't Brendan give X a go?" player, the "WTF has X done to upset Rogers?" guy. The reality is, or will be, because he isn't currently good enough to force his way in, in any guise at all. If I was having money on it though (and I'm not) I'd guess that it'll be a Jordan Henderson type role Can will eventually settle into, not so much a Gerrard/Lucas one. Unpalatable as it maybe as well, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise to me if it ended up being not at Liverpool, for me he needs to improve a fair bit.
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