Costing almost the same price as Luka Modric (to Tottenham), Santi Cazorla (to Arsenal) and Ashley Young (to Manchester United), Joe Allen finally completed his transfer from Swansea City to Liverpool this week. Allen’s stock rose astronomically this past season after a string of good performances for a surprising Swans team led by now-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and definitely deserved a raise, but it remains to be seen whether or not Allen’s performances this season will justify the hefty fee of 15 million pounds (SportingLife).
Reading about Liverpool paying what seemed a high transfer fee for the young Welsh international, two names immediately came to mind as parallels to Allen’s swift rise and subsequent high transfer fee that came following a breakout season: Charlie Adam and Michael Carrick.
Just like Allen, Adam starred for a newly-promoted club (Blackpool) and drew the plaudits from across Europe for his pinpoint passing and crossing. A big-money transfer to a top team followed soon after with Liverpool agreeing a £7 million fee for the Scotsman. Adam cost Blackpool only 500,000 when he came over from Rangers and 7 million seemed a bit high for someone with only one year experience playing against top-flight opposition. Not surprisingly, Adam struggled in year one with ‘Pool.
Carrick also enjoyed a breakout season of his own in 2005-06, and was rewarded with a dream transfer to Manchester United albeit for a price (18 million) that seemed rather high at the time. (NOTE: Any Spurs fans that are offended by the fact I’m classifying moving from Tottenham in the same class as moving from Blackpool/Swansea, let’s remember Tottenham finished 9th in 04-05, the year before Carrick’s breakout season).
Carrick and Adam saw their careers head in opposite directions following their performance-inflated moves to a top club. Which direction will Allen’s career head? Will he find success like Carrick? Or struggle like Adam?
Rodgers plans to bring his brand of possession football to Anfield but with the addition of Allen; Liverpool’s midfield looks especially crowded. Rodgers wouldn’t have spent 15 million on a player he plans to sit on the bench so I expect Allen will slide into the same role he occupied with Swansea last season as a sort of deep-lying playmaker. Allen should be afforded the same attacking freedom he enjoyed at Swansea as a healthy Lucas Leiva returns to occupy the holding-midfield role. Allen and Lucas’ skills complement each other almost perfectly, a luxury that Carrick also enjoyed when he arrived at United thanks to Paul Scholes. The aforementioned Charlie Adam needs to improve defensively if he is going to see much playing time in this new look Reds squad as Stevie G is a lock to occupy the other spot in the expected midfield three.
I think Allen (whose presence in Team GB reminded me he is only 22) will justify the hefty fee paid for him right away. Liverpool just doesn’t possess another player to pull the strings and run the play from the midfield (unless Adam miraculously reverts to his 2010 Blackpool form or Jordan Henderson learns to track back and play defense) and because of Allen’s young age he should only continue to get better. His long ball accuracy will suit both styles of play Rodgers is likely to employ in his 4-3-3 (which is really more like a 4-3-2-1). Allen is capable of accurate distribution to pacy wide-men as well as pinpoint crossing to both striker types: target strikers like Andy Carroll/Fabio Borini or players who prefer the ball at their feet like Luis Suarez.
Well some may criticize what looks like another Liverpool overspend, I think Allen is the perfect fit to kickstart an Anfield renaissance.
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.
Either would be pony! The next xabi or iniesta!!!! Now that would be a find!
Quite possibly he could be ” the next Joe Allen ” but that would be ludicrous wouldn’t it? I do wish people would take their “the next ***** ” and shove it!
Adam or Carrick? what’s the difference?
What a strange title, will Allen be like a player who has not performed when it mattered or a player who was a revelation who turned into a crap player when he moved. It’s like you are expecting Allen to fail.
Hopefully nothing like either, Adam is average and Carrick is over rated and average!
So long as Adam becomes the ‘Last Charlie Adam’ I don’t mind
For his sake I hope neither!
I agree with Fraser. Stop with that “next” bull$hite. Allen is a lot better than most people seem to think, and he’ll soon prove it.
It’s like a cut and paste article with add names here!
Andrew masters???
Masters what? It certainly is not jounalism
are you trying to say Carrick has lived up to his price tag?he’s rubbish!on a par with adam
Really wish media would stop giving players the title of “The Next”. Quite frankly most of the comparissons are outright daft and are nowhere near truth. Kind of like this articles comparisson… Clearly the authour doesn’t know football if he’s even beginning to compare Allen’s style of play to that of Charlie Adam. YNWA!!!!!
carrick has four Pl title winners medals, a CL medal and two runners up medals, plus a club world cup winners medal.
Allen will be lucky to get anywhere near that with his limited ability.
He’s Joe Allen, no-one else. I can’t take ‘the next ______” seriously when I see it.
But Joe Allen is the 6th best passer in Europe. 91%, two behind Xavi. Not bad for limited ability eh Freddy?
think its fair to point out, Allen flourished because he had some very good players around him, players he could pass too or receive the ball from..Britton, caulker, Rangel and sigurdsson for example. Joe may struggle a little to slot straight in, but there is little doubting his talent. Dont expect miracles, he can get tired later in games, doesnt have a great shot on him so goals may be limited and he isnt a long ball passer more a ball mover..side to side rather than penetrating forward. Good luck to him. fifteen million was imy opinion(and ive watched him loads for the last few seasons) very generous.
wtf freddy,a Man utd fan here?LoL
Michael Carrick=average,overrated
winning a medal because your team is very strong but you suck,i wouldnt actually love it to be honest
this season showed that Owen Hargreaves and David Pizzaro win a Premierleague medal.YIKESSSSS!!!
Now back at ourselves,Joe Allen’s pricetag is big but i dont care.i just want the right players at Liverpool as soon as possible,even if we have to pay a bit more than we should.
Look at this squad:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Gerrard Lucas Allen
Downing Borini Suarez
Subs:Doni Kelly Coates Carragher Robinson Spearing Henderson Shelvey Sterling J.Cole Carroll
Now i find this squad strong to be honest,just needs a bit more fixing.What’s needed?I gotta say a right winger so that Downing doesnt start week in-week out if he performs bad as last season.Gaston Ramirez/Theo Walcott/Clint Dempsey…we’ve heard a lot of names and we are all waiting.Brendan Rodgers said before signing Joe Allen,that only for the reason LIVERPOOL FC want to buy a player,some teams try to get as many money as possible and raise their requests a few millions which is awful.Lets hope Mr Rodgers does his job and fills in the last squad needs.
YNWA
I hope for Allen’s sake it’s neither. Allen is already miles better than either one of them ever was.
LIVERPOOL MUST SIGN IN:
1) Aly Cissokho (LB)
2) Mamadou Sakho (CD)
3) Moussa Sissoko (DM)
4) Gaston Ramirez (LW)
5) Nuri Sahin (Att Mid)
6) Ibrahim Affelay (RW)
7) Gonzalo Higuain (ST)
.
LIVERPOOL MUST SIGN OUT:
1) Downing
2) Joe Cole
3) Jay Spearing
4) Charlie Adam
5) Henderson
6) Andy Carroll