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Allen Cameo Shows He Could Play Crucial Role in Run-In

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joe-allen-liverpool_3001753Prior to Sunday’s game at Anfield against his former club Swansea, I think many of us would be forgiven for not believing you if you told us that Joe Allen would play a pivotal role in securing a 4:3 victory over Swansea on Sunday afternoon.

The young Welsh midfielder has hardly been a revelation at Anfield since his arrival and it has often appeared that neither he, nor his manager, really know what his role – or best position – is at the club at present.

Allen was heralded as a much different player from what we’ve seen in his 18 months at the club, a kind of British take on Barcelona’s Xavi; his high-percentage passing game was meant to take Liverpool to a style of football they’d not seen in many years.

What we got was much different: a player that looked timid, slow and struggled to find his own team-mates. Often because he treated the ball like it was a hot potato.

In recent months though, Allen has made a few appearances and has actually begun to look like the player we thought we’d bought. Against Arsenal in the FA Cup, Allen put in a terrific shift in a game that many believe Liverpool were robbed in, controlling possession and allowing Liverpool to transition from defence to attack in a way not seen since the days of Xabi Alonso.

The 20-odd minutes Allen got against his old side on Sunday once again proved that the midfielder has a lot more to offer, and even showed a combative side to his game that we really haven’t seen enough of.

At times on Sunday, Swansea seemed to be passing through an empty midfield, as ball after ball seemed to make it to within metres of Liverpool’s goal with ease. Brought on to toughen up Liverpool’s spine and ensure that Swansea didn’t find it so easy getting the edge of ball to Liverpool’s box, Allen added a different dimension to the game with his precise tackling and forward-thinking passing.

There were even forward runs and bursts down the left side, as Allen looked to instigate attacks and get that all important winning goal.

With Lucas injured with no genuine cover and Gerrard and Henderson being Liverpool’s only real first-choice midfielders, Allen could yet have a very important role to play for the remainder of the season. At times on Sunday one or two players began to look tired, fatigued by the intensity of Liverpool’s high-tempo, high-pressing game.

Particularly in away games, Allen could provide that extra bit of solidity that we’ve been sorely missing since Lucas’s injury and with the defence seemingly hell-bent on throwing away leads he could provide the platform for some very important victories in the coming weeks.

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I'm a 32 year old Liverpool fan, living in the heart of the City Centre. I've supported the club since the day I was born and have been writing articles for L4L for over 3 years, writing close over 350 articles in that time. My favorite player of the past generation is Sami Hyypia.

I am the current editor for L4L, with my day job being in R&D for the NHS.

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