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Jon Flanagan: Surprise of the season?

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Jon Flanagan, LiverpoolIf Liverpool’s season could be summed up through one player, it would be Jon Flanagan. Like his club, who surprised everyone by having a much better season than anyone predicted, so did he pop out of relative obscurity to become one of LFC’s most important players.

After a promising couple of games for Kenny Dalglish two years ago, Flanagan quickly poured water on any optimism as to his potential away against Blackburn, where his poor backpass ended up getting reserve goalkeeper Alexander Doni sent off, along with a substitution for himself.

He rarely played after that, with Rodgers confessing that the only reason he hadn’t been sent out on loan was that no club in the country wanted him. Imagine that? Liverpool youngsters usually sell like hotcakes, yet young Jon was the only one that was passed on.

So it is even more extraordinary that Flanagan took his chance so incredibly. His first appearance came in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, when both Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson were missing through injury. He missed the 4-0 win over Fulham the following week, but returned to the side in the 3-3 derby draw with Everton. With Johnson’s return from injury, Aly Cissokho had been dropped and Flanagan came in to replace him.

Then came the start of his magnificent run in the side that saw him make the left back position his own. Having looked relatively comfortable at home to Norwich and West Ham, Flanagan had the performance of his life against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, even scoring one of the five goals that day. That has to stand out as his highlight of the season, and unlike his debut campaign where he had a baptism of fire against Manchester City and Arsenal only to dip in form quickly after, this time he kept on going.

It says something that out of Liverpool’s two first choice full backs this season, their best was not the one that cost £18.5 million, but in fact the homegrown player that had barely gotten a kick since his debut two seasons ago. Not only that, but his run in the team came while playing as a left back, despite being far more comfortable on the right flank. It’s that kind of versatility that’s made Glen Johnson so valuable to us over the last few seasons, despite his poor form this year.

News that Flanagan was starting at the Emirates this season was greeted with nerves and anxiety. Now, not one Liverpool fan would be surprised or worried if the same happened next year. And that is the story of the season for Jon Flanagan.

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Drummer, gamer and football fanatic. I love to write about Liverpool and spend most of my time thinking about the mighty Reds. That or Game of Thrones.

2 comments

  • kenneth osuji says:

    i hope that flanagan will go a long way with his form so far.

  • Erin says:

    Yeah, bullet dodged by keeping him. Bullet dodged also by not swapping Henderson for a certain Dempsey! Remember him? I want to see Wisdom , Flanagan at right back next season. Let Johnson find 100 k a week elsewhere .

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