Javier Manquillo has promised not to give up on his Anfield dream, despite struggling to make an impact during his first season with the club.
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The full-back, who’s mid-way through a two-year loan deal from Atletico Madrid, has played just 19 times in all competitions, with his last start coming way back in January. In fact, he’s only got on the pitch three times since the turn of the year – twice in the FA Cup and once in the Europa League.
He’s not even been included in the last three match-day squads. However, he remains determined to prove himself by working hard in training and attempting to force his way back into the team, both for Sunday’s game with Stoke City and ahead of the start of next season.
In quotes taken by the Liverpool Echo, he said: “Everyone wants to play, we are all fighting for our own position on the field and it is true I haven’t had the chance to feature since January.
“But it doesn’t alter the fact I will work hard to get a game, whether it be the last game of the season or to be considered early on next season. That’s what we are here for, we are all here to fight for our place and that’s what I will be doing.”
Of course, he’s just one of a number of Liverpool players with a point to prove. Here are five that we think will start next season already under pressure…
5) Javier Manquillo
There are several things that should help the Spaniard achieve his aim of playing more regularly. The most obvious factor here is that Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan are both unlikely to provide any competition. Johnson is out of contract at the end of the season and is widely expected to leave, while Flanagan’s latest injury setback is likely to rule him out for much of the campaign.
To be fair to him, the 21-year-old also put in some decent performances late last year. If he can build on that and start next season well then he has every chance of establishing himself.
4) Joe Allen
Brendan Rodgers has stuck by Joe Allen since 2010, when the pair came together at Swansea City. Unfortunately, it’s been slow progress for the Welshman since he’s joined Liverpool, and a lot of people are beginning to lose patience in him.
He’s been here for three years now and played almost 100 times in all competitions. We should be starting to see some return on our £15m transfer fee. That’s not to say there haven’t been good days for Allen in a Liverpool shirt, there have, but he’s hardly living up to his nickname of the ‘Welsh Xavi’. He needs to prove that he can deliver consistently and that he can help bridge the gap left by Steven Gerrard’s departure.
3) Dejan Lovren
It’s been an interesting season for the Croatian, whose form has been sporadic to say the least. After starting the campaign very poorly, he found himself out of the team during the early part of 2015, despite the Reds playing a back three. Emre Can was played out of position, while Lovren was left on the bench. When Mamadou Sakho was injured, Lovren was given an opportunity, but when it came to the big game against Arsenal, it was Kolo Toure who got the nod.
You can’t not trust a £20m defender to play in those big games. Thankfully, he’s been better over the last couple of months. We’ve only conceded ten goals in the last 15 games that he’s played, with three of those coming last weekend against Crystal Palace. If he can maintain that sort of record next season then the pressure on him will start to ease. If he starts next season the same as he did this, then he’s going to be in trouble.
2) Jordan Henderson
Henderson has been one of our stand-out players so far this season, so don’t interpret his inclusion in this list as a criticism of his abilities. The case in point is that Henderson will start next season with a very different role. For the first time in 12 years, Steven Gerrard will not be Liverpool’s club captain. With Henderson likely to take over the role at the end of the current campaign, he will subsequently shoulder a heavy burden.
Not only will he constantly be compared to his predecessor, he must try and lead the Reds back in the right direction after a difficult and frustrating campaign. Henderson might not have the same levels of sheer talent that Gerrard did at his peak – few players ever have – but he has the same heart, commitment and tenacity. He’ll need these qualities in spades if he’s to prove his doubters wrong.
1) Adam Lallana
Lallana and Lovren were very much in the same boat at the start of the season. They both arrived from Southampton for big-money transfer fees with the weight of expectation firmly on their shoulders. Twelve months on and their Liverpool careers have followed similar paths – difficult start, spell out of the team, improvement – albeit with Lallana sidelined due to injury rather than poor form.
Hopefully, the form he’s shown over the last month is a sign of things to come. It’s important that he plays in his preferred position at the head of the midfield, ideally alongside Philippe Coutinho. He’s wasted out wide and would be better served dropping deeper into the middle of the park rather than playing out wide.
