Adam Lallana will be hoping to make good on his promise to improve next year…
You have to feel sorry for the Liverpool midfielder, whose words were those of a player that has been left bitterly disappointed by his own performances – struggling to live up the huge price tag we paid for him last summer.
SEE MORE:
Ultimate Premier League era Liverpool cult-hero XI – Igor Biscan and Titi Camara included
Liverpool’s nine greatest Premier League bargains – with pricey striker and Brazilian duo proving their worth
Liverpool transfer news
In quotes taken by the Daily Mirror, £25m man Adam Lallana told reporters: “It’s not gone great. It started off with injury and I’ve had another over the last few weeks with a few more in between.
“It’s been quite frustrating if I’m being honest and I haven’t been out on the pitch as much as I’d have liked. Getting injured and missing pre-season I feel played a big part in my recurring injuries.
“It’s a very important part for a footballer to get the basis of the fitness in. But I want to be fully fit for the run-in, we’ve still got an outside chance of making the top four, and that’s something I want to be a part of.
“And obviously the last game of the season is the FA Cup final. I’m looking to come back in next season, get a good basis in with my fitness and kick on from there.”
The former Southampton man will start next season with a point to prove… and he’s not the only one. Here are five players we think could come good for the Reds during the 2015-16 campaign:
5) Lazar Markovic
The young Serbian needs more time to prove what he can do. He’s shown flashes of his enormous potential already – getting the winner against Sunderland and netting against Tottenham – but his chances have been few and far between more recently. His last appearance, against Arsenal, was ended after just 45 minutes – not the first time he’s been taken off at the break – with such an obvious lack of trust unlikely to do his confidence any good.
4) Joe Allen
Something of a scapegoat for many of our problems this season, most notably a lack of forward momentum during games – with the laziest of criticism usually suggesting he sends too many of his passes sideways. Nonetheless, his steady improvements in a Reds shirt have been both many and significant. His influence in the middle of the park has been growing and Steven Gerrard’s impending exit will give him a big chance to shine more regularly in 2016.
3) Dejan Lovren
Lallana is not the only former Saints star who has struggled at Anfield. After a poor start to the campaign, the Croatian has been in and out of the side, missing much of our golden run of form during the first part of 2015, during which Can, Skrtel and Sakho were the favoured back three. He returned to help register consecutive clean-sheets against Blackburn and Newcastle, suggesting he could be ready for a more permanent return soon.
2) Daniel Sturridge
There’s a growing sense of frustration with Sturridge, whose injury problems have restricted him to just seven Premier League starts and only four goals this season. To all those suggesting that his time at Anfield might be up come the summer, you only need look at the numbers to realise how wrong you are. His record of 40 goals in just 66 games for the club is up there with the very best. Bad seasons happen and we hope he’ll back to his best soon.
1) Adam Lallana
He’s no longer the big fish he was at Southampton. Despite his price tag, Lallana is a squad player at Liverpool and one that needs to do a lot more if he’s to escape the shadows of Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling and earn one of those attacking midfield roles. We know the ability is in there, his incredible record for the South Coast club is enough to prove that. Let’s hope that he’s right in thinking a solid pre-season will help him improve next time.
