Is this the renaissance of the £25 million Adam Lallana?
Back in the summer of 2014, Adam Lallana, then travelling with the England squad to the World Cup, was a subject of intense transfer speculation with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United vying for his signature. And for good reason too, having experienced probably his best season in Southampton colours under Mauricio Pochettino’s reign.
Part of an exodus of players from St Mary’s to Anfield, Lallana’s £25m move to the Reds was Brendan Rodgers’ marquee signing that summer. Great on the ball, influential in attack, and his immense stamina may well be just a few of the jargon used to describe his technical attributes through a stellar 2013/14 season that earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year.
What followed in his debut season at Anfield though was one of disappointment with injuries and failure to deliver consistent performances leading many to label him a ‘flop’.
Lallana most certainly had his moments through the course of the 2014/15 Premier League season with five goals, which included his maiden Anfield goal against West Brom, the brace against Swansea, the winner at Crystal Palace and of course the impactful substitute appearance in that nail-biting 3-2 win over Tottenham at home, all presenting a decent case for the former Southampton man, but those returns were anything but the likes expected from a £25 million high-profile signing at Anfield.
While injuries and the apparent burden of living up to his pricey billing can be called upon as ‘excuses’ for a poor 2014/15 campaign, the Englishman had to put it all behind and set out to redeem himself in his second season at Merseyside.
In what was a dodgy start to the season, the Reds failed to establish any semblance of consistency or even pose a potent goal threat after money almost in excess of a £100 million was spent in the summer of 2015.
Eventually, a 1-1 draw at the Merseyside Derby across Stanley Park, at Goodison, in October turned out to be the final nail in the coffin for Brendan Rodgers. A disappointing year and a half following Liverpool’s title adventure in 2013/14, and poor transfer dealings sealed the fate for the Ulsterman.
Desperate to avoid being the face of Brendan’s failed transfers, it was crucial for Lallana to create a solid impression in the mind of the new man at the helm of affairs at Liverpool if there was any chance of extending his Anfield stay.
The Jurgen Klopp era
Enter Jurgen Norbit Klopp. The 48-year-old’s arrival at Anfield sparked much fanfare, excitement and discussion primarily surrounding the extent to which his Gegenpressing tactics, which was so successfully implemented at Borussia Dortmund, would be employed at Liverpool.
And if so, with almost two months away from the transfer window (should Klopp need a new crop of players to fit his style), where was the sudden burst of energy and attack going to come from a Reds’ side whose football over the past year seemed anything but or even close to the style Klopp would’ve wanted them to practise. It sparked widespread debate with pundits and fans alike discussing and listing out those to benefit and those to face the axe as a result of the German’s arrival.
Fast forward five months and you read a completely different story. Agreed, there are still calls for a summer overhaul of players. But you now see a crop of players brimming with confidence having contested in a cup final, pitting themselves in a commanding position in their Europa League knockout tie and are all set to deliver a final push for the top four in the Premier League.
Klopp’s style of play has brought the best out of a number of players and Adam Lallana has grown into being one of them, if not the best. The Englishman often reckless in possession, has delivered some marvellous performances over the last few months, notably his MOTM performance against Manchester City in a 3-0 victory at Anfield.
Other noteworthy performances, that include Lallana’s incredible substitute appearance against Norwich that saw him grab an assist and a late winner in a crazy 5-4 victory at Carrow Road, indicates his growth into Klopp’s style of football.
Lallana’s energy, skill on the ball and stamina are key elements of Klopp’s high-pressing tactics. They also prove to be an asset for the Reds going forward and his stats since the turn of the year are testament to that. Five goals and six assists through the Europa and Premier League might not speak much, but the quality in display over the last few game weeks may suggest he’s slowly but steadily beginning to justify the price tag that brought him from St Mary’s to Anfield.
Whether that sparkling form continues through the remainder of a season, where the Reds’ still have lots to play for, is there to be seen. For all we know, it could just be another flash in the pan. But one thing is for sure, Lallana is among Liverpool’s in-form men at the moment and he’ll take the field at Old Trafford tonight, in the Reds’ crucial 2nd leg tie in the Europa League, knowing that he has bought himself some extra time to redeem (or should I say ignite) his Reds career, albeit not a lot of it.