Shear nonsense! Liverpool boss defends Joe Allen after Shearer's criticism
Brendan Rodgers has warned the critics who suggest he overpaid for Joe Allen: âYouâll be calling him the bargain of the season in a few monthsâ.
Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer has been one of the loudest voices in questioning the role of the Wales midfielder at Liverpool, accusing him of not doing enough on the ball going forward.
Reds manager Rodgers - who brought Allen with him from former club Swansea in a ÂŁ15million deal and admitted he would have paid "many more millions" than that if required - is staggered by that view.
In response, he has branded Shearer a âso-called punditâ who doesnât understand the importance of keeping possession in the modern game.
Rodgers believes Allen - who was crowned the Wales' Player of the Year this week - will become the new Paul Scholes as he carves out a long career at the pinnacle of the game.
âI saw something the other day criticising Joe Allen for not playing risk passes. Unbelievable - so-called pundits who donât know the dynamics of a team and how it functions,â Rodgers insisted.
âJoeâs role is to keep the ball. And that, in Britain, is a special talent. It is why Paul Scholes is still playing to his age. It is such a rare talent for a midfielder to rarely give the ball away
âPeople have talked about him and his fee, but in time he will be an absolute bargain.â
Rodgers isnât the only one at Anfield to see the special ability Allen possesses for retaining the ball and using it intelligently, even under intense pressure.
He was voted player of the month for August by the Liverpool fans after barely a couple of weeks in a red shirt.
And he has been the one player immune from criticism during the clubâs disappointing run of form, which saw them briefly slump into the bottom three.
Against Stoke last weekend, there were evident gasps of anticipation around Anfield when he was on the ball.
Rodgers believes that is merely a hint of even more to come once the player settles into life on Merseyside.
âHe will have a long career here. Heâs a wonderful talent and over time people will see what facets heâs got in his game,â Rodgers explained.
âWhere we have been really pleased with Joe is with his tactical discipline. Maybe heâs never going to score as many as Steven Gerrard, but heâs certainly got quality going forward.
âOffensively, he has far more than what a lot of people have seen, just because heâs having to play a more sitting role at the moment.
âI have played him in there because he knows how to control the game. He is courageous and will go and get the ball in any area.
âIt is his his tactical discipline to stay and keep the shape of the team, and offer the passing line, which has been really good though, and because of that we havenât seen everything he can do going forward, but we will.â
Rodgers believes that when Lucas Leiva returns to the team after injury - which the club hope will happen by the end of this month - Allen will have more freedom to get forward and play the kind of passes around the opposition penalty box that Liverpool have been missing this season.
And he sees the pair complementing each other to create the possession stats he wants to base the clubâs future on.
âLucas is more controlling," said Rodgers. "He and Joe can both play that position. Or you could flip your triangle around and Lucas could hold, with Joe playing in an advanced role. Lucas is more defensive, and that will help Joe.
âMy intention was just to have five or six midfielders who could fight. My job then was to get the balance, because you canât have three all doing the same.
âWhen Lucas is back, youâll see more aspects of Joeâs game."
Referring to how Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard impacts on Allen's play, Rodgers added: "We have one of the most creative players in the history of the Premier League heâs playing beside - heâs got to let Steven go and do his work and when he does, thereâs no better player.
"But Joe can open things up, too.â
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