Is Adam Lallana the English Iniesta?
It says a lot about Adam Lallana’s performances this season that Mauricio Pochettino’s comparisons between the Southampton captain and Barcelona’s holy trinity of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas have been greeted with enlightened responses among fans and pundits alike. The Saints star has also been linked with Man United too.
The St Mary’s boss suggested the England international has a similar set of skills to the Blaugranas playmakers after the Saints cruised past Newcastle 4-0 on Saturday, with Lallana impudently setting up Rickie Lambert for the vital second goal while lashing in a superb 25-yard bullet for the third.
That display earned him a Squawka Performance Score of 60, with a passing accuracy of 86 percent and two of three attempted take-ons completed proving too hot for the Magpies back line to handle.
“We haven’t seen a player like [Lallana] in this country for a long time,” 42-year-old Pochettino told reporters after the game.
“I am always telling him that he has the characteristics of a Spanish player and he has the skills of an Iniesta, Xavi or Fabregas.”
Some may scoff at that thought, but the Southampton midfielder is the side’s second-best player statistically this season, achieving a Performance Score of 748 having played in every single one of the Saints’ league games so far.
Southampton Chances Created
With nine goals in the top flight as well as 56 chances created and five assists, Lallana offers the south coast club – as well as his national side – a creative outlet and a goalscoring threat, which has been vital to the Saints’ healthy position in eighth place.
The 25-year-old also does his fair share of defensive work, winning 44 of 97 tackles and making 36 interceptions. With 63 fouls won and 63 of his 111 attempted take-ons completed, Lallana makes it exceedingly difficult for opponents to win the ball off him without presenting the Saints with a set-piece opportunity.
One of the easiest ways of describing Lallana’s rise to prominence is that he looks right at home in Roy Hodgson’s national squad and, Steven Gerrard aside, Pochettino is right in saying that ”Adam is special, he is a very unique player. There is not another player in the country like him.”
However, the Barcelona players the Saints boss references are simply some of the best around – and for good reason. Iniesta holds a stunning Performance Score this season of 1229 from 28 games, second only to Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.
With three goals and seven assists in La Liga, the playmaker has had less of a direct impact on goals than Lallana, but has an exceptional passing accuracy of 91%. With 63 of 99 take-ons completed and 48 fouls suffered, the Spain international is a devilish player to compete against, and a magician with the ball.
Likewise, Xavi has a fine Performance Score of 1188 from just 24 league appearances, largely in part to his stunning passing accuracy of 93% from over 2000 passes, of which 62.1% were forwards.
With three goals and two assists, the 34-year-old’s attacking input is waning, though his metronomic play is still the heartbeat of Gerard Martino’s side, with 12 Squawka best possession awards.
Former Arsenal talisman Fabregas is more comparable to Lallana in terms of age and positioning, and has notched nine league goals and 12 assists in 29 appearances this term.
The snap shot of his goals shows a player with finishing skills more akin to a striker, while 49 chances created and a passing accuracy of 87% make him as strong a teammate as they come.
It is no surprise that David Moyes tried and failed to land Fabregas last summer, and while Barca are not the all-conquering behemoths of Pep Guardiola’s reign, they could still win the treble this year, with the former Gunners’ displays playing a key role.
Pochettino was right in suggesting that Lallana’s skills are more akin to a Spanish player, and in comparing the Saints skipper to the trio, he has certainly given the captain – and the rest of the young academy graduates such as Luke Shaw and Jay Rodriguez – a high benchmark to aim for.
In truth, Lallana’s performances this season do not quite match up to the Barca stars Pochettino spoke of, but Lallana is certainly on the right track – indeed, only Fabregas of the three has outperformed him in terms of direct actions leading to goals, and the rest of his game is also coming along well.
But it is worth remembering that Iniesta and Xavi – and, to an extent, Fabregas – are household names across the world because they turn in exceptional performances season after season. Lallana is relatively new to the demands of the Premier League and international football, and has yet to taste European football, let alone the rigours of the Champions League.
While Southampton are getting stronger month by month, Lallana may sadly have to move on to achieve the elite level that Pochettino suggests he is capable of. If he can reach those heights with the Saints and his fellow England teammates at St Mary’s, then all the better for the national side and the club’s supporters.
To be whispered in the same breath as Barcelona’s stars, Lallana will need to compete with the best week in, week out and prove he has the mentality and physique to deal with midweek challenges and the pressure of supporters who expect the standards he is achieving as par for the course.
But as long as Lallana carries on enjoying the sport and playing his natural game, Southampton and England do indeed have a unique player on their hands who blends brain and brawn to devastating effect.
Alongside the likes of Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge, English football could finally be entering an age where technique, ruthlessness and creativity are basic requirements to gain entry to the national side.
One thing is for sure – with Lallana in the squad at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil, the host nation’s fans won’t be disappointed be a lack of flair on offer from one particular member of the Three Lions squad.