Most Liverpool fans were fairly surprised to hear manager Jurgen Klopp comparing Adam Lallana to Chelsea’s Jorginho at the weekend.
Our long-serving Englishman played as the deepest member of the midfield three against Bradford, having done a similar job in our first pre-season friendly v Tranmere a few days previous.
“Adam is the kind of player who can play that and he enjoys this ‘Jorginho’ role,” Klopp said.
“I hope Maurizio Sarri doesn’t see the games or he will make an offer. It is about getting Adam rhythm, bringing him in early and doing things he is naturally good at: small spaces, passing the ball, and then from time-to-time offering the runs in behind as well and together with Milly [James Milner] that is possible.”
But according to Paul Joyce in the Times, Lallana is not expected to take Fabinho’s place in the side – which to be fair – is only expected after the Brazilian’s wonderful debut season.
Joyce does suggest, however, that with Jordan Henderson preferring to compete for a box-to-box role, Lallana may be used as an alternate style of no.6 – more of a deep-lying playmaker – to Fabinho.
“Fabinho remains Liverpool’s go-to No 6 but, with captain Jordan Henderson having finished last season in an advanced role, Klopp sees the benefit of Lallana’s versatility,” he writes.
This is pretty interesting – as we may be set for a season with Hendo playing in a more advanced role than Lallana – which very few would have predicted.
On top of the option of Fabinho and Lallana as no.6s, we have Gini Wijnaldum, who’s done well there on many an occasion, and of course, Henderson.
When you consider this, it’s not hard to see why the club hasn’t chosen to enter the transfer market to buy more midfielders – with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner fighting for minutes too.