Joe Allen is a poor Lucas backup…
Liverpool have lost three of the 23 matches in which Lucas has featured in this term. They’ve lost four of the 10 games Allen has, and these statistics are not random. Lucas provides little going forward – but his defensive contribution from the middle is as good as anything in the top flight. Allen doesn’t offer much offensively either – but his slight frame and timid nature means he doesn’t win the ball back or make tackles either. Last night was another example of a pretty poor showing from Allen, who’s not having a very good season in a Liverpool shirt. He’s still probably a handy squad player, but if Lucas were to pick up an injury, we’d likely turn to Emre Can in midfield over Allen.
