Adam Lallana (End of contract, BHA)

I have a hard time understanding how people don't see his class and what he offers when he plays for us. He's by far the best of our signings and one that should be featured in every single game.

Sorry, when I say I'm not convinced, I don't mean his ability, more so the positions he's being deployed in (left forward & left midfield), It just doesn't seem to be getting the best out of him. As HScRed1 has touched on, he doesn't have the pace to get past people and isn't a ball playing midfielder. I see him as the closest thing we have to Suarez. He's very tricky, has very good movement and a good burst of acceleration, so maybe to get the best out of him, we need to see him much higher up the pitch and more centrally, like a 2nd striker.

Sorry, when I say I'm not convinced, I don't mean his ability, more so the positions he's being deployed in (left forward & left midfield), It just doesn't seem to be getting the best out of him. As HScRed1 has touched on, he doesn't have the pace to get past people and isn't a ball playing midfielder. I see him as the closest thing we have to Suarez. He's very tricky, has very good movement and a good burst of acceleration, so maybe to get the best out of him, we need to see him much higher up the pitch and more centrally, like a 2nd striker.

Ah...got you!

I agree to an extent, although last year for Soton he did a lot of running from midfield...box to box.

I have a hard time understanding how people don't see his class and what he offers when he plays for us. He's by far the best of our signings and one that should be featured in every single game.

I think he's a good player FWIW. Not sure whether I'd say he was by far the best of the signings.  Time will tell on that.  Main concerns with him seem to be his inability to do 90 minutes - something I've heard Saints fans mention - and I don't think he's perfect in any single position - maybe if we were playing last season football this wouldn't be an issue - he could have licence to float around.

Main concerns with him seem to be his inability to do 90 minutes - something I've heard Saints fans mention

I've heard that point a few times, including in a match thread once, so decided to investigate.

He does get subbed off a lot, but he seems to be more durable than some believe. Based on the 37 EPL games he started last season (it is a good thing that he was able to start in all bar one game last season, and in that game he came on at half time), he stayed on the pitch around 82 minutes on average (82,13 to be more precise).

(The point someone made in the match thread was that he couldn't last over 60 or 70 mins).

The number of minutes per game started varied a bit over the course of the season too. To illustrate that, I divided the season in 3 periods (first 12 games, middle 12 and last 13 in which he started).

Adam Lallana - 2013/14
First 12 games - 77 mins per game
Middle 12 games - 87 mins per game
Last 13 games - 82 mins per game

2012/13 is harder to judge, as his season was hampered by an injury that kept him out for around 2 months if I recall correctly. Still, up until his injury in December 8, he started 15 EPL games and played 89 minutes on average, which includes 9 games in a row playing the full 90 minutes (I excluded the Reading game from that list as he was subbed off due to injury in the 39th minute mark). After he came back from injury, he was either subbed-on or subbed-off in every game he's played, so maybe that's where that perception he's not durable comes from (based on starts only, he played on average 72 mins in 10 games).

Just to finish this digression (because I did take the time to see the numbers, so now I feel like posting them, however insignificant they may be), let's take a look at his 2011/12 season, still in the Championship:

38 starts, 84 mins played on average. This number was relatively stable during the whole season, though it did include a subbing off in the 28th minute once, probably due to injury. It also seemed to me that he was subbed off more often than not when the Saints were winning, which might indicate they were simply protecting their best player, but that needs more analysis which I just don't feel like doing

Only found out last week that Adam suffers from ulcerative colitis.  Not a nice condition and could possibly be the reason he's not starting many games just yet.

so why we paid 25 million on a player that can't play full games ?

ulcerative colitis

Makes sense, when you look at Markovic, we paid £20mill for him to not play at all so that extra 5 for Lallana is probably well worth it's money.

Only found out last week that Adam suffers from ulcerative colitis.  Not a nice condition and could possibly be the reason he's not starting many games just yet.

Blimey, that was the illness that kept Darren Fletcher out for a couple of years I think.

Hope they are treating it well with Adam.

ulcerative colitis

That's an insight, at least he can afford the best treatment because he earns tons of money? If this was a condition known and we didn't sign Remy (not because we signed Lallana) because of his drug level, what's the defining line?

Blimey, that was the illness that kept Darren Fletcher out for a couple of years I think.

Hope they are treating it well with Adam.

I'm sure they are. The difference between Lallana and Fletcher's situations is that Fletcher kept quiet for a couple of years. Like any condition, its easier to treat if its reported early. I'm sure the lad will be fine.

He's starting to show why he was bought and that's to add goals and create goals which he's starting to do, i would rather have a team of say 5 players all with 10+ goals than to just have one striker banging in 25+. just because as we've noticed this season that without the 50+ goals Suarez and Sturridge brought in we've struggled to score. Lallana is adding goals from the middle and he's IMO made Hendo improve on his goal scoring as he must be learning off Lallana's movement about getting in the box more.

Broken ribs apparently, that's why he didn't play vs Basel. Happened vs Leicester, but he played vs Stoke?

Broken ribs apparently, that's why he didn't play vs Basel. Happened vs Leicester, but he played vs Stoke?

Stoke was before Leicester mate.

Stoke was before Leicester mate.

Sorry, meant to be Sunderland, not stoke did he start vs Sunderland?

Sorry, meant to be Sunderland, not stoke did he start vs Sunderland?

Think you're right mate, Stevie came on for him with about 25 to go if I recall

Think you're right mate, Stevie came on for him with about 25 to go if I recall

Then I have to question the medical staff.... why would they allow this to happen? having a couple of fractured ribs takes weeks to recover?

Then I have to question the medical staff.... why would they allow this to happen? having a couple of fractured ribs takes weeks to recover?

The medical staff can't make actual decisions on whether a player plays, that comes down to manager and said player. The manager is inclined to listen to his medical staff though.

Tough SOB to play with that injury. All the while people ragging on him for never playing 90 minutes for us, nice.

Tough SOB to play with that injury. All the while people ragging on him for never playing 90 minutes for us, nice.

Exactly. If they weren't slagging off Adam, they were slagging off Brendan. just shows how things change once you realise the reasons behind things. On a slightly different subject, f*ck me have we been unlucky with injuries this season or what?

Lallana is a decent player and has done nothing wrong since signing not sure why any fans would not like him.

Lallana is a decent player and has done nothing wrong since signing not sure why any fans would not like him.

Would hope that for £20m we'd get a little more than "he's done nothing wrong..."

Anyway what is going on with our medical staff; they worked wonders a few years ago keeping Agger fit for a whole season, Suarez never got injured once while he was with us etc.  Seems like a lot of the lads are having injury problems lately.  Medical staff needs to up its game!

Would hope that for £20m we'd get a little more than "he's done nothing wrong..."

Anyway what is going on with our medical staff; they worked wonders a few years ago keeping Agger fit for a whole season, Suarez never got injured once while he was with us etc.  Seems like a lot of the lads are having injury problems lately.  Medical staff needs to up its game!

Not the medics fault he breaks a couple of ribs, look at his frame he's a bit of a weakling.
Maybe Kolo gave him the Phil Dowd treatment in training!

Disappointed with Adam, was buzzing when he signed. He's done literally F**k all just one decent goal. Not good enough.