23 Oct 2016

'I'm Surprised': Carragher hails €14m Euro sensation's 'outstanding' performances

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has hailed ex-Red Joe Allen for his goalscoring prowess this season.

In his Saturday column for the Daily Mail, Carra enthused:

"I am...surprised by the way he [Allen] is thriving in a No-10 role. Nobody could have anticipated him being so prolific. He is a very good footballer, but someone who seemed more suited to a defensive role".

€14m-rated Allen weighed in with seven goals in four years at Liverpool, but after three months of this season, he already has four goals for Stoke.

If Allen - hailed for his influential performances during Euro 2016 - continues at his current goalscoring rate, he could match his entire output at Liverpool after just six months at Stoke.

In a recent interview, Stoke Boss Mark Hughes hailed Allen as 'absolutely outstanding' since his move to Stoke, and explained why he'd pushed him into a more forward role:

"I've pushed him [Allen] forward [because] he anticipates things in the box, and if you do that in key areas of the pitch then you're going to affect the scoreline".

With players like Shaqiri, Arnautovic, and Krkic in Stoke's squad, it's impressive that Allen is managing to hold down a regular place in an attacking position. That probably wouldn't have happened at Liverpool, with competition coming from Mane, Coutinho, Firmino, and Lallana.

That said, I'd take Allen over Emre Can every day of the week, especially in a more advanced role.




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