27 Jul 2012

Boss raves: 'Exciting' £15m LFC target is a 'top, top player'. Sign him!

As a club statement released earlier this week illustrates, Swansea City are playing hardball over midfielder Joe Allen, who continues to be linked with a move to Anfield. Reds star Craig Bellamy is a massive fan of Allen, and recently stated that it would be 'shock' if the club didn't sign him. Now, the man who gave Allen his debut has joined the growing list of people publicly praising the midfielder.

Speaking to Wales Online today, Wigan Manager Roberto Martinez expressed his pride over how Allen has developed over the last couple of years, and described him as a 'top top footballer', adding:

"It’ll be exciting for Team GB to have such a strong character and a winner in the middle of the park. He has developed into a top, top footballer, and he will get even better as he gets older and stronger..

“Whatever the challenge, Joe always finds a way to be himself, because he has a tactical knowledge and awareness that allows him to do that. He is capable of being anything he wants to be".


In a brief statement on Thursday, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed the Reds' interest in Allen:

"We’ve spoken with Swansea. I have a brilliant relationship with Huw Jenkins and we’ve had a private conversation that will remain private. There’s obviously been a lot of speculation off the back of that and unfortunately a lot of it is wrong. Joe is a very talented player but I don’t want to say any more about that one".

Liverpool are well-stocked in the central midfield department right now, but none of the club's current players having Allen's passing ability. Indeed, with 91% accuracy last season, Allen was the 6th best passer in Europe, a mere 2% behind Barcelona's Xavi.

Liverpool's attacking options definitely need strengthening this summer, but a midfielder who can dictate Rodgers' football philosophy on the field is also a priority (IMO), and Allen is perfect for that important role.

Xabi Alonso was Rafa Benitez's Joe Allen, and look at the fantastic impact he had on the team. Allen can be a similar catalyst for Rodgers' new-look Liverpool team.

Jaimie Kanwar


35 comments:

  1. yawn,  more drivel from you

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  2. Moldovan football official Mircat Serin, who is a member of UEFA's Developing The Game committee attended the London Olympiad and will report to UEFA in October about how to overhaul the football tournament for the 2014 games in which it could become in effect a world U-23 tournament, run along the lines of the World Cup.

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  3. well sign him up and throw charlie adam in or jay spearing

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  4. Very little similarity between Alonso and Allen. Allen is more like Lucas, but less able defensively. His pass percentage is great, but the majority of his passes are backwards and sideways. He hasn't got the range or vision of Alonso. 

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  5. The comparison between the two is an insult to Xavi Alonso.  The difference between Allen & Alonso is similar to that of Wales & Spain.  Another super hyped British, so called talent.  A fair comparison can be with Charlie Adam aka "The Blackpool Zidane of Championship".  If % of passing success is the criteria, then Goalkeeper 'll always have the best record in most teams.  Swansea plays lot of small squire passes & hence the % is so high - at the end of the season they have scored probably the lowest no. of goals in premiership & the much vaunted CM having 2 assists!!!.  I am sure over 90% of Allen's passes are short squire or back passes.    

    Enough is enough, those football (sorry soccer) ignorant Yanks have wasted enough money on British garbage & the new Manager is now stuck in trash cleaning.  The sort of transfer money or salary been wasted for Carroll, Downing, Cole, Henderson & Adam; it's a natural justice that both ordinary British Managers were sacked.  If we waste 10 extra mn (he is worth 5mn, I guess) on him, like Adam, we 'll see what "Second year syndrome" actually is.

    British players are super hyped, over discussed, over priced & over paid - even impossible to resale for the shear amount of investment or wage.  I can bet, there are dozens of "Allen like" potential talent in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland or the 2 big Latinos.  I 'll buy them only to fill up the home grown quota, which we have enough in numbers.    

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  6. just goes to show wot a state fooballs in .with blatter . platini . and now we have a mircat runnin football .!!!!

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  7.  the owners wanted to sign adam,hederson and downing and not kenny?

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  8. it's my birthday! 40 today. drinks for everyone!

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  9. Xavi? You call YOUSELF a FAN? BWAHAHAH

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  10. rather have SG there with lucas

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  11. liverpool4life5658:52 pm, July 27, 2012

    Rather have a midfielder who scores more. Like other teams have.. Chelsea:mata,ramires,lampard, man city:silva,toure ... Gerrard can do it for us... But we need another one! Should of signed sigursson tbh..

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  12. 15m way too much for him.

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  13. How is this even remotely connected to this article???

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  14. No thank you..15mill or forget it

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  15.  apart from the fact Sigurdsson didnt want to come

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  16. Rodgers you fuckin two faced weasel!!!

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  17. liverpool4life5659:30 pm, July 27, 2012

    Well because rodgers gave him 40 thousand a week... While spurs gave him 60/70 thousand we shud of done that! But get in ramirez instead.with another striker then I'm happy!:)

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  18. Why are we the only team linked with him? 

    He is a tidy, decent team player but £15M?   No way is he worth that. Look at the players going to and being linked with the teams above us. Buying Allen will only keep us where we are, Adams came as a goalscoring midfielder and Henderson and Downing excellent stats for creating chances.

    We need quality, not quantity. Dont we have our own targets from last seasons scouting?  Why do we have to buy players that Rodgers has had in the past?  Am I missing something or is everyone seeing what I see?

    Would Allen, Adams, Henderson, Downing, Dempsey, Borini and Rodgers as well I am afraid ever been good enough to Manage and play for us as recently as 3 years ago?

    Dont bother answering that one as we all know the answer. Where did it all go wrong?

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  19.  3 years ago we had degen,el zhar,riera and kyriakos in our squad so those players prob are an improvement.
     joking aside you do make some good points but it's going to take a massive rebuild and some massive performances on the field to get us back to when we were champs league regulars let alone having a go at the title.

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  20. because being a liverpool fan is the same as being a member of the greatest family in the world, just wanted to spread my love and happiness with the rest of my family! YNWA
    as for the article, allen could become a class act for the years to come. 15 mill a bit steep though!

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  21. His strength is always being available for the simple pass. Stops your lot always hoofing it. Re kenny with his intricate tactics?,

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  22. Why was my post taken down!!! Just stating a fact!!

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  23. Rodgers wants him because of his ability to keep the ball and make the play. Liverpool need someone who can control the tempo of the game and Joe Allen offers that, which none of the current Liverpool players offer. Steven Gerrad will be bombing forward all the time and does not have the discipline or ability to control games, as we saw his last game in Euro 2012 against Italy. Allen will also win a lot of balls in midfield has he does not stop running and is certain not a lazy footballer like Downing or Charlie Adam. Not doubts Liverpool has a wealth of midfielders, but the rest like Downing, Spearing, Adam and Henderson are mere squad players who will never even get on the bench of the top four teams in the premiere league. So effectively Liverpool has only Lucas and Steven Gerrad and need to bring in Joe Allen and Gaston Ramirez as rumours go. That will give Brandan Rodgers and Liverpool hopes of competiting for the top four, otherwise it will be another painful season like the previous one.

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  24. If it means the end of Charlie Adam and Henderson....its worth it

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  25. happy 40th mate ynwa

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  26. Downing, Spearing, Joe Cole must be included in this list.
    Get rid of these deadwood. But 15mil for Allen is way off the mark.

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  27. 15m for allen too much. anyway heard that ramirez is going to sign for us soon

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  28. muggedinthetrnsfrmkt11:23 am, July 28, 2012

    we've already got one of the biggest wage bills in the premier league. rodgers showed real chraracter by refusing to meet players exorbitant wage demands, but its worrying that we're still being held to ransom by clubs in the transfermarket ie sigurdson was a 6.8 m player, liverpool come along and suddenly he an 8 m player... or joe allen, in reality at best a 6 m player, liverpool come in and its 15 m...

    if we keep caving in to these crazy demands we'll always be mugged when trying to sign other clubs players.

    Why dont we just play some of the youth players? suso, sterling etc far better than downing, adam etc.

    WE DONT NEED TO SIGN ANYONE!!!!!!

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  29. Liverpool do not need to top up on squad players they need top class first 11 stars to replace the deadwood i cannot see the likes of Borini and Allen pushing the team into the top 4.
    In saying that i hope and pray i am wrong and Rodgers is the messiah.

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  30. not even close mate7:55 pm, July 28, 2012

    comparing allen with xavi on passing stat alone is gross overstatement. xavi is bar high on another dimension. xavi passing not just merely passing but it actually a 'half-touch', a fleeting contact on the ball that barely perceived as having occurred. That touch is so valuable that opponent have difficulties reading his passing aim. xavi also have high-level of awareness and sense of calm on every ball-control(even with complete opponent's surrounding), always in clear conscious what to do next and instinctively know to tempo up and down possession flow. he even invented 'pelopina' move(360 quick-turn skill, with half-turn to the left or right variation) which is trivial flair body movement to orchestrate the play that is such enjoyable to watch.

    i watch allen play, no no no, he not even nearly on xavi class

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  31. right on there fella!

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  32. liverpool4life56512:24 am, July 29, 2012

    We do need players. (Gaiten,ramirez,mirralas) youth need time.. Their only 17/18 you can't rush them. Ease them in when the times right. It isn't now..

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  33. we aint playing hardball you idiot -joe is our player-you have an over inflated view of your sides ability,thats where liverpool have gone wrong over the years,you cant attract players to a club that is living in the past.get with the real world -you cant judge players on reputation,take a look around kick and rush is over,put your foot on it and pass to a player on your side-it works trust me..why dont you develop your own talent and dont assume you have the god given right to rape other teams

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  34. Fed up with English players who are totally useless!  Want some proper talent from Spain or South America.  We have some good young talent of our own.  Promote them.

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