There would
always be questions when someone replaces another person in each and every
field.so when jurgen Klopp took over at anfield there were always going to be
questions but he has not performed well enough this season. When Jürgen Klopp
took charge of Liverpool, there were questions over which players would be
shown the Anfield exit door. Dejan Loren’s underwhelming displays under the
stewardship of former boss Brendan Rodgers led to suggestions he would be sold.
However, the Croat’s performances - particularly in 2016 - mark a superb turn
around in fortunes, with Lovren forming a solid defensive partnership with
Mamadou Sakho - prior to his suspension - at the heart of the defence.
To some, Lovren has gone from expendable to indispensable under
Klopp. He wasn’t the only one who had been linked with a move away either. Adam
Lallana, for all his tenacity and energy, struggled to complete 90 minutes
under Rodgers. With Klopp at the helm, there were questions over how he would
fit into the side under the demanding German. Yet, like Lovren, Lallana has
come on leaps and bounds under the watchful eye of the former Borussia Dortmund
boss.
The duo, among others, have gone to great lengths to impress the new
manager and for good reason. With a team built by Rodgers, every player - bar a
select few - were effectively playing for their Anfield future. One of those
whose place was unlikely to be under threat, however, was Klopp’s compatriot
Emre Can. The midfielder was bought to the club with Rodgers at the helm and
while used in a number of positions, has nailed down a regular starting spot in
the middle of the park in the Reds' preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Indeed, an
average of 64.9 passes per league game is the best of all Liverpool players
under Klopp. He tops the same list in the Europa League with 61.8 passes per
game. With Can dropping deep to receive the ball, his physical qualities allow
for him to not only shrug off opposition pressure, but bring possession
forward.
It’s this continental approach to playing that has seen him play a
key role in Liverpool’s progression to Wednesday’s. Sevilla have won the last
two editions of Europe’s second competition and are rightly confident of
securing Europa League glory for a third successive season. Yet with Can
unfazed by the opponents before him - only James Milner (7.46) has gained a
better Europa League rating than he (7.38) of all Liverpool players this term -
he’s more than capable of winning the midfield battle that would swing the tie
in the Reds’ favour.
Given the
quality available to Unai Emery, this becomes all the more pivotal. The Sevilla
boss is able to call on the creative Ever Banega, who is a key player for the
La Liga outfit. Can, though, is more than capable of countering the
27-year-old, with his average of 3.2 tackles per European fixture better than
any other Liverpool player. His defensive contribution could also be
particularly vital as they look to stifle striker Kevin Gameiro, who has seven
goals in eight Europa League appearances this season.
With Banega able to thread passes through to Gameiro, Liverpool need
to do all they can to limit the Argentine’s influence to hinder Sevilla. In Can,
though, Klopp can be confident the Rolls Royce midfielder can carry out the
necessary defensive responsibilities required in order to minimise the
opportunities on the Liverpool goal. This is all the more important when taking
into consideration Sevilla have scored in each of their last five Europa League
fixtures and their success in the competition in recent years.
With a place in next season’s Champions League at stake for the
winner, this heightens the importance of the penultimate European fixture of
the calendar. Liverpool have the personnel capable of denying Sevilla their
third successive Europa League crown and securing glory under Klopp. In Can,
the German has the ideal midfielder at his disposal needed to not only
alleviate pressure on the defence, but instigate attacks from deep. If the
German and his Liverpool teammates play to their potential, there’s no reason
why the Reds can’t land themselves European glory in Basel tonight.
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