Joe Allen [Sold]

[Fredo]

We have only 2 players to play in that position and 1 who is a specialist and injured.

[Reece]

Haven't we got a bit of a DM beast in the Academy? Black lad? Forgotten his name...if indeed I'm barking up the right tree.

Baio?

[Shaggy]

Baio?

Yeah that's him - Yalany Baio? Think he's still 17 - waaaay young to be playing in the first team in that role, a role that requires experience and nous. But still....might be better than nothing at all?

[davegrady1]

I quite like Allen in that deep role, he collects the ball from the defensive line and distributes it very well. I don't think playing him there is a problem defensively either. We got caught out a few times because we lost the ball in poor positions and got hit on the counter. Don't think Lucas coming in will make us better. It will probably make us worse offensively.

Good point, Gerrard was very casual at times and Suarez was just off and both gave away the ball cheaply a number of times which didn't help us.

[davegrady1]

Yeah that's him - Yalany Baio? Think he's still 17 - waaaay young to be playing in the first team in that role, a role that requires experience and nous. But still....might be better than nothing at all?

I'd be interested to see Agger play that role and play Coates at CB. Don't think it would be necessary, Allen I'm sure will do a fine job (much much better than Spearing) But If push came to shove I think Agger or even Coates could come in and do a job.

[dww]

Yeah that's him - Yalany Baio? Think he's still 17 - waaaay young to be playing in the first team in that role, a role that requires experience and nous. But still....might be better than nothing at all?

I think Allen showed for Great Britain he can do a decent job as DM is specifically told to do that job. It' snot his natural game but he's a player who seems to have an instinctive view of the game - I would liken it to how Rafa used Alonso for a time in that position.

We should be using the bench more creatively though IMO. A young forward and someone suitable to develop in the DM role would be my favoured options. Perhaps that would be how to bring Baio through.

[Daffy Duck]

Yeah that's him - Yalany Baio? Think he's still 17 - waaaay young to be playing in the first team in that role, a role that requires experience and nous. But still....might be better than nothing at all?

Talented, but at this point nothing more than a red card in the first 10 minutes too soon for him I think.

[Nick77]

As accurate as he is - he's not trying to make key/assist like passes like Gerrard is - that is why his percentages are so high. Not saying he hasn't been good but he is yet to make a Xabi-like/Gerrard-like pass which can change games.
I would rather have 1 completed pass out of 100 that resulted in a goal compared to 100 out of 100 passes that didn't really lead to one...

[Neil Young]

It's a fair point but FFS Nick, this is the one positive thread in the whole LFC forum. Can't we leave it as a haven where we can all feel good about one thing to do with the club? Is that too much to ask? Is it? Is it?

[dww]

I think the Xabi comparison is the better of the two - he very rarely got direct assists.

[Reece]

If Allen does his job properly and makes a high percentage of accurate, simple passes, then there is more chance of the likes of Gerrard getting the ball to be in a position to play the killer pass to set up a goal.

[barnes10]

nick. he put suarez through against man city with an extremely xabi-like defence splitting pass. we all know what our lethal front man did with that golden chance but if that pass had gone to a clinical finisher, it'd have been a goal.

[McDermotX]

It's a fair point but FFS Nick, this is the one positive thread in the whole LFC forum. Can't we leave it as a haven where we can all feel good about one thing to do with the club? Is that too much to ask? Is it? Is it?

[wiw]

Such a shame Lucas is injured, I think Allen could do a lot of damage when further up the pitch linking the midfield and attack - something Gerrard isn't doing very well with at the moment.

[yamiedo]

Gone are the days where we were a one-man team. Oh wait, we still are. Its just a different man now. Joe Allen.