Cameo King: Joe Allen adds another dimension to Liverpool’s midfield

The plane departing from the Merseyside has been docked at the Liverpool John Lennon Airport for several months now awaiting Joe Allen’s impending departure. But, at this rate, it certainly won’t be hitting the runway anyway time soon.

Just months ago, the ‘Welsh Xavi’ looked certain for the exit door at the Anfield Stadium. Indeed, even under Brendan Rodgers himself, prior to his sacking, Allen had struggled to get a look-in for the first team, missing the side’s first six matches before playing just five minutes in the Reds’ 3-2 win over Aston Villa. He then went on to have little impact in his 12-minute cameo in the Merseyside Derby the following weekend. The draw proved to be the manager’s last straw; Rodgers was gone, and his No.24 should’ve followed suit.

‘Allen targeted by Prem rivals’, wrote the Mirror in relation to a report that Stoke City, Southampton and Leicester City were all interested in the Wales international. ‘Joe Allen to go in January?’ read another.

Even Allen himself seemed to buy into the rumours, admitting that he was playing for his future, especially given that, with 18 months left on his contract, talks of a possible renewal had gone quiet.

Read the rest of my analysis for Squawka

Paulinho – the sorry decline of the Brazilian ‘Lampard’

Two years ago, Paulinho was on top of the world. When Argentinean playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme called Paulinho a ‘phenomenon’ and likened the Brazilian as the ‘black’ version of Frank Lampard for their similar box-to-box style of play, the 26-year-old simply took on board the comparison with little fuss, pledging to such a comparison as fuel for greater things.

“This comparison is a responsibility that I will take, I will not run away from it. Lampard is a great player…I intend to follow in his footsteps as he is a very professional guy. I’ve always looked at what Lampard does and to me he is a huge phenomenon. The way he hits the ball, what positions he takes up, he really is incredible.”

But following two seasons in England’s top flight, Paulinho has completed an astonishing move to Guangzhou Evergrande – the cash rich reigning Chinese Super League champions who are chasing their fifth consecutive domestic title and a second Asian Champions League title for a second time in three years – for £10m.

Not only does he leave England with his previously glorified reputation in shatters, but also 169 goals short of Frank Lampard’s goal tally in the English Premier League and 93 assists behind the Chelsea legend.

His departure for an a eight figure sum, though, seems to have been met with such delight from Tottenham’s faithful so much so that Daniel Levy has, momentarily at least, regained the trust of the club’s supporters. While the transfer fee highlights Guangzhou’s financial might, and Luiz Felipe Scolari’s power in negotiations, a £7m loss from their initial purchase of £17m seems to be a big win for the club especially given that the player has largely been underwhelming at the White Heart Lane.

Read the rest of my article for EPL Index

FFTASIA50: The Jedi Enforcer: How captain Mile Jedinak made himself indispensable to Socceroos

With the first half in its late stages, Australia were on the ascendency, searching for their second goal to give the side the lead heading into half-time of their opening encounter of the Asian Cup.

As far as starts to matches go, this was arguably not the Socceroos at their best — Kuwait had scored from a set-piece in the opening eight minutes and Melbourne’s AAMI Park fell silent. While Ange Postecoglou’s troops somehow managed to fight their way past Kuwait’s high-pressing play to equalise through Tim Cahill, as if to add insult to injury, the home side suffered another shock blow. Mile Jedinak injured his ankle.

The skipper, though, was not about to give up. Despite lying motionless on the turf for a good few minutes, agony visibly etched across his battle-hardened face, the “Jedi” soldiered on ruthlessly. He did so not with the help of painkillers but by sheer adrenalin, to lead his troops to victory, not only in their opening Asian Cup match, but ultimately as Champions of Asia.

Such stoicism is hardly the result of some pre-match pep talk Postecoglou delivered minutes before kick-off, nor the tactical training the team had undergone weeks prior to the tournament proper. Rather, Jedinak’s display of courage to play on for the glory of the nation is a result of a lifetime of hard-work, dedication to the task at hand, and, in some respects, patriotism.

Read the rest of my analysis on FourFourTwo

Why Falcao's Manchester United transfer raises more questions than answers

Radamel Falcao presented as a Manchester United player. Source: Getty Images

Following a lacklustre season in which Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League, Van Gaal entered the fray as Moyes’ successor with renewed hope of overhauling a depleted squad bereft of quality. Yet, months into his stint as manager, and it seems little has been done to restore pride to England's most successful club.

Perhaps their latest league outing is a prime example of how far United have fallen.

Slow and overburdened in defence and uninspired in attack, Van Gaal's troops slumped to a 0-0 draw against a recently promoted Burnley outfit which, on paper, is vastly inferior.

While it seems every department is in desperate need for change, forwards, though, should be the least of Van Gaal's worries. Indeed, Rooney and Van Persie still aren't at their explosive best. Slowly but surely, the duo are beginning to regain their form.

Surely, a buying another defender, or midfielder, for that matter, would be more worthwhile?

Instead, Falcao's signing on a loan deal represents another instant of Manchester United's panic buy strategy to appease fans. As for the player himself, it's another example of an illogical transfer.

For much of this summer, the Old Trafford outfit have given their followers much hope of reinforcing the side in the areas they need most. True to form, though, nothing has materialised and for Woodward, it has been another farcical window with no clear transfer policy.

The likes of Arturo Vidal and World Cup winner Mats Hummels have constantly been linked with moves to Manchester. Both are players of the highest calibre and their signings would go a long way to fixing the club's issues. Nothing, though, has been done to back up such interest.

For all it is worth, though, Woodward has shown that he can smell a bargain from a mile away. But he doesn't seem to understand how football works. Their latest signing, in many ways, is similar to their signing of Juan Mata earlier this year, a player who clearly doesn't fit the bill. In addition, Falcao is only starting to find his feet again following a cruciate injury which ruled him out of the World Cup.

The transfer itself also raises questions of Falcao's ambitions. For the second consecutive season, the Colombian has arrived at a club which will not feature in a European competition. I'm fact, he has only featured in the Champions League once - for Porto back in 2011. The fact that such a player with humongous potential sees no need to play against the best in Europe's premier club competition is a incomprehensible.

How Falcao fits into the 3-5-2 set-up is another worry. With the aforementioned duo already occupying the front two offensive spots, it seems as if pushing one of them out of the squad to make way for the 28-year-old could be a dangerous move? One which leads to more unrest in the
dressing room.

All that in conjunction with the recent departures of Patrice Evra, who in many ways was a defensive rock, Shinji Kagawa and Chicharito, or seems that Mancheater United are transferring themselves to destruction.

€200 million spent and numerous signings later, Manchester United are no closer to addressing their issues in defence and midfield. Indeed, the signing of Falcao raises me questions than answers for both the club and player. For United, it seems mediocrity is the way to go.

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