Joe Allen [Sold]

[SB]

So? Jo yeah. I like him.

[JohnDoe]

Stop this guy and you stop Liverpool from playing. Stoke were all over Allen every time he had the ball and he couldn't make his mark. Our best decision maker is way too far from the final third, Rodgers needs to make some sort of adjustment and give that DM role to someone else. Push Allen forward, Gerrard isn't leading our attack anywhere.

[Fredo]

Stop this guy and you stop Liverpool from playing. Stoke were all over Allen every time he had the ball and he couldn't make his mark. Our best decision maker is way too far from the final third, Rodgers needs to make some sort of adjustment and give that DM role to someone else. Push Allen forward, Gerrard isn't leading our attack anywhere.

Allen is our best player if we want to build from the back. Can't see anyone in the team, bar Lucas, who can play in that position. Don't think he should be played further up.

[Gibbo]

I agree Nigel, I think we will end up with;

Lucas Allen
---Sahin---

Although it will probably be Gerrard.

[JohnDoe]

Allen is our best player if we want to build from the back. Can't see anyone in the team, bar Lucas, who can play in that position. Don't think he should be played further up.

I agree with that, but that role is more simple than being one of the two midfielders playing further forward and are required to create goalscoring chances. I understand why he was initially picked to play there when Lucas went down, and it was the right thing to do, but now he's being targeted by teams who are smart enough to realize that pressing him rattles us completely and we're losing his intelligence further up the field.

[JohnDoe]

I agree Nigel, I think we will end up with;

Lucas Allen
---Sahin---

Although it will probably be Gerrard.

Rodgers' system has one DM sitting back and two dynamic central midfielders.

Lucas
Gerrard Allen

That was BR's plan before Lucas went down.

[Fredo]

I agree with that, but that role is more simple than being one of the two midfielders playing further forward and are required to create goalscoring chances. I understand why he was initially picked to play there when Lucas went down, and it was the right thing to do, but now he's being targeted by teams who are smart enough to realize that pressing him rattles us completely and we're losing his intelligence further up the field.

Think the loss of Lucas is hampering our progress. We need two similar type of players in that position, now we have only one, which puts more pressure on Allen and he can be targeted. We need another DM.

[RichC]

Stop this guy and you stop Liverpool from playing. Stoke were all over Allen every time he had the ball and he couldn't make his mark. Our best decision maker is way too far from the final third, Rodgers needs to make some sort of adjustment and give that DM role to someone else. Push Allen forward, Gerrard isn't leading our attack anywhere.

We need Lucas back then we can push him forwards.

[Phoenix07]

Rodgers pretty much said in the interview with the podcast and blogger folk that Allen playing further forward will add an extra 10% to his game.

If you look at Swansea last season, he starts deep and pushes forward.

[Shaggy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19877465

Liverpool's Joe Allen wins FA of Wales player of the year award

Joe Allen has won the Football Association of Wales' player of the year and club player of the year awards.

The 22-year-old midfielder impressed during Swansea City's first season in the Premier League.

During the summer he followed Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool in a £15m deal.

Allen, a regular for Wales, also represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games.

Celtic defender Adam Matthews was named the young player of the year, an award which Allen won last year.

The awards, voted by journalists and broadcasters, cover the period from October 2011 to October 2012 and were presented at a dinner at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

Carmarthen-born Allen has been recognised following a year in which he played a prominent role in Swansea's impressive first season in English football's top flight.

Allen also established himself as a regular in the Wales midfield after making his first start in October 2011 during the reign of late manager Gary Speed - a 2-0 win over Switzerland in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

He was one of five Welshmen, along with Craig Bellamy, Ryan Giggs, Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor, who represented Great Britain in the Olympic football tournament.

Allen played in all five matches for Team GB, who lost on penalties to South Korea in the quarter-final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Following his involvement at the Olympics in August, Allen joined Liverpool for a £15m - a record transfer fee for a Welsh player.

Tottenham's Gareth Bale won the fans' player of the year award for the second year running.

[red g]

Brendan Rodgers has launched a defence of Joe Allen against 'so-called pundits' who question his role in the Liverpool side.

The Reds boss does not mention Alan Shearer by name, but it was the BBC Match of the Day pundit who wondered about the value of a midfielder who does not take risks to create chances.

The £15million signing from Swansea has created just three chances for his teammates in seven Premier League appearances and yet Rodgers is comparing the Wales international with Paul Scholes.

"I saw someone recently criticising Joe Allen for not playing risk passes. Unbelievable. So-called pundits who don't know the dynamics of a team and how it functions," said Rodgers.

"Joe's role is to keep the ball and that, in Britain, is a special talent. It is why Paul Scholes is still playing at his age. It is such a rare talent for a midfielder to rarely give the ball away.

"Initially when I came in, we played with one holding midfielder and two advanced ones. I didn't feel that we had the guy that opened the door for everything so I played Joe in there because he knows how to control the game. He is courageous and will go and get the ball in any area. But our positioning ahead of that wasn't so good, because we were too open.

"We have switched the team to play with two holding midfielders and one further forward. That has been Steven more or less, because he is the one that can do everything."

Rodgers is promising more attacking intent from Allen when Lucas Leiva returns from injury.

"Joe, offensively, has more than what a lot of people have seen, just because he's had to play more of a sitting role. That comes when Lucas is back.

"Where we have been really pleased with Joe is with his tactical discipline. Maybe he's never going to score as many as Steven but he's certainly got quality going forward. But his tactical discipline to stay and keep the shape of the team, and offer the passing line, has been very good. He will have a long career here, he's a wonderful talent and over time people will see what facets he's got in his game. Over time, he will prove an absolute bargain."

http://www.teamtalk.com/news/2483/8154346/Allen-analysis-wrong-Rodgers

[el matador]

for me without question his best position is playing as the middle of the three central midfield players - ie not the holder which is lucas, not the attacking midfielder which is gerrard but the one who does a bit of both.

His job will be to win the second balls, help regain possession if we lose it, and keep things moving very quickly and its something that he will be absolutely phenomenal at. You can see his game is very geared towards keeping the ball and winning it back quickly when we lose it.

he covers ground so quickly its unbelievable. this boy is a top top player.

[yamiedo]

Alan Shearer was a great footballer but he knows F.A about the tactical side. He will be a terrible manager.

[Kenneth]

And already has been.

[Slinky Skills]

Brendan Rodgers has launched a defence of Joe Allen against 'so-called pundits' who question his role in the Liverpool side.

The Reds boss does not mention Alan Shearer by name, but it was the BBC Match of the Day pundit who wondered about the value of a midfielder who does not take risks to create chances.

The £15million signing from Swansea has created just three chances for his teammates in seven Premier League appearances and yet Rodgers is comparing the Wales international with Paul Scholes.

"I saw someone recently criticising Joe Allen for not playing risk passes. Unbelievable. So-called pundits who don't know the dynamics of a team and how it functions," said Rodgers.

"Joe's role is to keep the ball and that, in Britain, is a special talent. It is why Paul Scholes is still playing at his age. It is such a rare talent for a midfielder to rarely give the ball away.

"Initially when I came in, we played with one holding midfielder and two advanced ones. I didn't feel that we had the guy that opened the door for everything so I played Joe in there because he knows how to control the game. He is courageous and will go and get the ball in any area. But our positioning ahead of that wasn't so good, because we were too open.

"We have switched the team to play with two holding midfielders and one further forward. That has been Steven more or less, because he is the one that can do everything."

Rodgers is promising more attacking intent from Allen when Lucas Leiva returns from injury.

"Joe, offensively, has more than what a lot of people have seen, just because he's had to play more of a sitting role. That comes when Lucas is back.

"Where we have been really pleased with Joe is with his tactical discipline. Maybe he's never going to score as many as Steven but he's certainly got quality going forward. But his tactical discipline to stay and keep the shape of the team, and offer the passing line, has been very good. He will have a long career here, he's a wonderful talent and over time people will see what facets he's got in his game. Over time, he will prove an absolute bargain."

http://www.teamtalk.com/news/2483/81...-wrong-Rodgers

That is a great response from BR there.

He shouldn't have to justify his line ups to no one it's up to him who he plays and what position they play in.

And he's right, Joe Allen will be a brilliant player for us we've all seen that already in his short career.