26 Sept 2016

Carra insists: Klopp will 'probably' replace Jordan Henderson with 'excellent' £33m star as Liverpool's 'holding midfielder'

Is Emre Can now a squad player? Reds legends John Aldridge and Jamie appear to disagree on the issue, but according to Carra, Can - when fully fit - Last week will usurp Jordan Henderson as the Reds' number 6.

Last week, Aldo told the Liverpool Echo:

"Emre Can is an excellent player but...how does he get into that midfield? As things stand, he's waiting for an injury, or for someone to slip up".

Carra has a different view, though, and when asked about Can's first team chances over the weekend, he noted:

"The holding role is earmarked for Emre Can, and I expect him to return to that [when he's fit]. Jordan will probably play a slightly different position".

I'm not so sure. Jurgen Klopp seems pretty enamoured with the Wijhendallana axis right now, and I suspect he'll stick with it, even if the Reds continue to leak goals.

I'm not Can's biggest fan, but there's clearly room for a dedicated defensive-midfielder in the team. That type of player won't be needed in every game (home games against weaker opposition, for example), but as the last four years shows, a lack of solidity in midfield is a root cause of the team's defensive instability.

As a comparison: in 2013-14, Liverpool conceded 4 goals in the first 6 league games; the team finished 2nd, but ended the season with 50 goals conceded overall. This season, the team has already conceded 9 goals in 6 league games, and if the team continues to concede at this rate, the Reds will end the season with more than 50 goals conceded.

* Can: £33m-rated (CIES Football Observatory)

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