Reds took time to adapt, but Anfield is becoming a fortress once again
Liverpool have finally adapted following the loss of Luis Suarez in the summer and may now be a better side for it, says Joe Allen.
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Admittedly, we looked like we were struggling at the start of the season without the Uruguayan and this was only compounded with the difficulties of Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert – not to mention the injuries to Daniel Sturridge.
However, since those dark days early on, we’ve actually developed into one of the Premier League’s form teams.
The win at Southampton, for instance, was our seventh from ten since December, and saw us move to just a couple of points away from those coveted Champions League spots.
A run of form, says Allen, that proves we don’t need Suarez anymore.
“At the start of the year we talked about how losing Suarez was going to have an affect but now we have overcome that,” said Joe Allen, reports the Daily Mail.
“It took us a little bit of time to overcome that because the injury problems we had were not ideal.
“We are certainly back up to that level and if anything with the different system we play this season we might even have taken a step forward.
“Sometimes (criticism) gets taken out of hand but I don’t think it was unfair. There was no hiding places and we were not delivering as players.”
However, we shouldn’t speak too soon. The next few weeks could be critical in our matching our ambition with the trip to Besiktas this coming week followed by a table-topping clash with Man City on Sunday.
It’s certainly going to be an exciting – if not slightly daunting few days – and could be the catalyst we need to ensure success in this campaign.