12 Oct 2014

Top Transfer? 'Incredible' £10m star reveals 3 reasons why he signed for LFC. 'Average'?

Liverpool summer signing Emre Can has endured a stuttering start to his Liverpool career, and with injury limiting him to just two substitute appearances so far, it's going to be a while before Can is fully up to speed. Bayern Munich had a well-publicised buy-back agreement with Leverkusen, but for some reason, Can decided to join Liverpool instead of waiting for the clause to kick-in. In an interview this week, he explained why.

Speaking to reporters this week, Can admitted he had 'discussions' with Bayern over the summer, but revealed several reasons why he rejected the German giants to sign for Liverpool. He told reporters:

“I had discussions with Brendan Rodgers and that made my mind up. This whole club is very ambitious and positive about how it wants to play football. That’s the way I want to play football too.

“Liverpool believe in the same things and that’s why I came here. I want to stay here for a long time.”


When Can returns from injury, it will be interesting to see where Rodgers plays him. In my view, he should play as a defensive-midfielder, with Gerrard playing further forward. Playing Can as an attacking midfielder (alongside Hendo, and ahead of Gerrard), is (IMO) a bad idea, as there are other players in the squad (i.e. Gerrard, Lallana, Coutinho etc), who offer a much more potent attacking threat.

Can certainly seems to see himself as a deep-lying midfielder. In a recent interview, he praised the influence on his development of two top-class European stars:

"In my position especially, I also learned a lot from Javi Martinez and Luiz Gustavo [combined cost: €60m]. They helped my development."

Martinez and Gustavo are usually the deepest midfielders on the pitch for their respective teams. Can states 'in my position' in relation to those two, so he clearly seems himself as a deep-lying central midfielder.

Playing alongside the world's best players can only be a god thing for up-and-coming young players, and if Can - as he suggests - has 'learned a lot' from the likes Martinez, and Gustavo, then Rodgers may have unearthed another Coutinho-like gem.

Hyypia certainly seems to think so. In a November interview with Kicker magazine, the Finn - who signed Can for Bayer Leverkusen - outlined six of the midfielder's best qualities:

"He [Can] has everything needed to play in many positions, and he is well on the way to becoming a very good player. He is incredible with the ball; has great technique, and he is strong in one-on-one situations. He plays better offensively, but he can defend well, and that aspect of his game should not be underestimated"

Sounds good, but Sami tempered his praise with some words of caution about Can's composure/end product. He noted:

"He still has much to learn, though. He needs more patience when making decisions, but he's smart enough to learn that."

Norway legend Jan Aage Fjortoft - a football analyst for Sky Sports Germany - has a different view of Can, and in August, he offered the following withering assessment:

"I don't think he [Can] is a good signing. He's an average player in Germany. I can't see that he will improve LFC. Brendan Rodgers is a much better manager than me, so we have to trust him.

With Rodgers' long list of failures in the transfer market, it's increasingly hard to trust him when it comes to player recruitment, but obviously, I hope Fjortoft is proven wrong, and Can lives up to Hyypia's glowing assessment.

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45 comments:

  1. I have to say that Fjortoft is quite right........ BR is a much better manager than him

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  2. In 2009, Bayern Munich recognised his talents and secured his signature. In a bid to aid his acceleration into first-team football, the German giants sold him to Leverkusen in August 2013.

    "Emre Can is one of the biggest talents in German football," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge at the time. "With this step, we want to make sure he gets enough playing practice, for example like Toni Kroos had at Leverkusen, Philipp Lahm at Stuttgart or David Alaba at Hoffenheim."

    Fjortoft who?

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  3. Can is the captain and has been the outstanding player in the German U21 side. Anyone calling a 20 year old with these kinds of credentials an "average player" is a comedian.

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  4. Mr. Point Of View8:50 am, October 12, 2014

    Say what u can but u had to show us what u got b4 bla bla bla too much. If u constantly sit on bench u will say diff story later

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  5. Jaimie, Brendan talked to him before he signed!!!

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  6. yeah Fjortoft never got to second place like BR.
    We're all hoping BR can go one better this year.
    This does not fucking slip now (crying remorsefully)

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  7. him Hendo and Gerrard and he can not be on the side of a diamond...

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  8. Is loaning a taboo in Germany or something?

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  9. Hehe, excatly.. Ask DerBauMann..

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  10. Why can't he, he's got all the attributes to be great box to box midfielder

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  11. Hendo and Gerrad are better used ther, can`t aford to waste those two.

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  12. Allegedly Sterling got125 a week 5 year contract. Sell to Real for 55 and bring Reus for 25 with 200 a week. Looks like no brainer to me..

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  13. I'd have him left gerrard dm and hendo on the other side epically for the physical teams just gives us more options

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  14. id like to see a midfield 3 of can hendo and lallana

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  15. Just look at the squad now. Gaping holes and voids everywhere from front to back.to be filled

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  16. Sell a player with a buy back clause and you don't have to sign them if they don't make the steps you want. Seems win win in a league where the finaces are a bit more stable. Buy back clauses are rare in this country. Certainly doesn't happen between two prem clubs. But Toni Kroos had a similar situation I think.

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  17. Gerard is no box to box player now mate. It would be silly playing him there.

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  18. So Madrid will do that rather than buying Rues themselves? I think this is one where a brain is needed as the plausibility is non existent.

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  19. I think Allen will be straight back in and I can see Lallana or sterling falling victim

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  20. I think if we are playing a 2 1 midfield three that could work quite well.

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  21. More likely Coutinho if anyone.

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  22. I'd have gerrard deep still but he looked epic back at no.10 as well

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  23. All depends on the formation I want to see us play with the diamond I think that works best but your right he's out of sorts ... But I think he's stifled with out sturridge

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  24. Personality I thought he had a good game vs est Brom but with Markovic injured we need another attacker on the bench. Think with Sturridge coming back we could see Lallana or Sterling benched but but it wouldn't be for Allen in my opinion. Slightly pedantic but you know what I mean.

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  25. Cameo though. A whole game is different. Especially as he was starring two weeks off in the face. Different in a thick and fast fixture list.

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  26. I agree I think he played well against west brom, played slightly deeper and had a bit more time on the ball. In all honesty I'd like to see sterling given a bit of a breather now we have sturridge back. Just so he doesn't burn out

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  27. Top centre back partnerships usually have a balance of a stylish ball playing defender and a less technical steady type.Although you get players like Sami Hyypia who are capable of playing both roles.
    Nemanja Vidic was the most dominant.Hyypia was complete.If i had to pick two Jamie Carragher would be on the bench!

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  28. With Lallana playing well and Sterling not as well as likely paying for England tonight I think you may get your wish.

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  29. Mr. Point Of View4:53 pm, October 12, 2014

    Bcoz Carra a pundit now he had to dig out lot of story...

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  30. A bit off topic, but the Liverpool Ladies have just defended their title! CONGRATS and YNWA LADIES :D

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  31. Louise Fors taking a break to concentrate on other things.Her replacement Lucy Staniforth getting injured before the season kicked off and missing the whole season.Liverpool's best player Nicole Rolser out for most of the campaign too.I gave them no chance of retaining the title.
    They've been solid not spectacular.Gemma Davison was a good pick up.Well done Ladies!

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  32. Raheem to England's rescue again winning free kick !

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  33. Yes, well done the ladies :)

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  34. It was a miraculous win for the ladies. Hope the mens' team can pip Chelsea and Man City on the last day. All things are possible for those who believe

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  35. I was dubious of this signing when it was made and unfortunately, due to injury, he hasn't yet been able to prove me wrong.

    We're crying out for some fresh blood at DM, so I'm eagerly awaiting his return.

    The fact that he played centre-back in his last two games for Germany u-21s bodes well for him actually having a good defensive sense of things, rather than being one of those players who is strong and just gets plopped at DM as a result of poor logic on the part of managers.

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  36. When we signed Can, there were articles on this site quoting him saying he will play anywhere BUT he doesn't see himself as a defensive mid but further up the pitch. Now we read different. BR needs to sort this out and so does Can himself.....I liked him in preseason but that's not much data. He seems suited for DM physically but what's in. HIS head?

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  37. Are the two same type of player? Have Real just recently bought mega star on Reus` position? Mister smart one..

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  38. real doesn't care for the money they spend on one player, they don't look at similar players, if they decide to get somebody they splash out the cash... as if they aver thought about alternatives

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  39. Where has Raheem been most effective? They are similar types of player. Since when has buying one worldie for a position stopped Madrid from signing another?

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  40. Hames is a new one, they not as quick. On another hand Bale or Ronaldo thing might be over soon so Sterling looks promissing. And since when did they care aboutprefered position of a player.

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  41. Bale is still relatively young and Ronaldo has not shown signs of slowing. Rather than it being Sterling's preference it is just his best. Rues can play a number of positions too. It's moot mate let's just see what does and doesn't happen.

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  42. Apart from when he went against Torres, Vidic was a brilliant defender.

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  43. I had assumed Can was being brought in as a potential Gerrard replacement and this article reinforces that. The problem he faces is that Gerrard has some legs left in him and won't be getting dumped to the bench too often this season. That means Can has to take opportunities where he can and if that's in an advanced role then he needs to be good enough to make it work. I don't accept that a player good enough for Liverpool would struggle to adapt from a holding role to being a slightly more advanced midfielder. Hendo, Gerrard, Lucas, Allen, Lallana, Coutinho and Can .. all these guys should be able to do a good job in any midfield position, box to box. Of course they'll have preferred roles and positions in which they are better but I think the benchmark is set pretty high. Steven Gerrard never had any trouble switch roles and he's played everywhere for the club. He's played wide, central, deep, attacking and even as a second striker. He never failed to impress no matter where he played. Why should other players be held to a lesser standard? Yes, Gerrard is going to go down as a Liverpool legend and he's a tough act to follow but if a player is not thinking they can be as good if not better than players that have gone before them then they frankly shouldn't be here. Any player who is good enough for this club, a club that has aims to be back amongst the best in the world, should be able to show their quality no matter where they play. I would only accept Can struggling "out of position" if he's played in a wide role, as a striker or as an outright defender. Any role that could be referred to as "midfield" should be just fine with him and he should have the skills and the attitude to make it work.

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