Jurgen Klopp recently compared the two players, but would the role change make sense? Josh Williams takes a tactical look
Speaking after Liverpool's 3-1 win over Bradford City on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp was quoted comparing Adam Lallana to a relatively unexpected player.
The man in question was Chelsea's Jorginho, a deeper-lying central midfielder who has developed a reputation for conducting his team's football from a withdrawn area of the pitch. Lallana on the other hand, has largely been deployed in offensive midfield zones under Klopp, linking the play and offering a glue of sorts in the final third.
“Adam is the kind of player he can play that and he enjoys this 'Jorginho' role – I hope (former Chelsea boss) Maurizio Sarri doesn't see the games or he will make an offer!” joked Klopp.
In terms of the profiles held by the two players, they are considered to be very different as a result of how they've been utilised over the course of their careers.
In the case of Jorginho, the Italian has received a considerable amount of criticism since arriving in England, largely due to the unfair comparisons with N'Golo Kante, who many believe should have been used in a defensive capacity under Sarri.
The Italian boss opted for Jorginho in his deepest midfield role not because of his defensive capability, but because of his technical level and ability to operate as an orchestrator behind many of his teammates. Just because a player is operating in a deeper role, that doesn't necessarily mean that his role has to be 'defensive'.
Lallana usage in a similar role would follow the same logic, with less emphasis on the defensive aspects of the game, and more focus on his possession game.
Unlike Chelsea, Liverpool now have a very settled system, with every player thoroughly understanding the key concepts of how to perform within a unit on the field.
This is crucial, as one of the reasons that Jorginho suffered was because the system around him was flawed, and it had numerous inefficiencies due to Sarri working with his squad for a limited amount of time. As a result of Klopp's football being so ingrained in the current squad, he can afford the luxury of including more creative players in his starting XI against weaker sides without his team suffering defensively.
Last season for example, Xherdan Shaqiri was regularly included at Anfield versus inferior opponents, purely as a means of finding openings. The Swiss attacker's defensive output is limited, but Liverpool didn't suffer because of the general strength of the overall system.
Speaking after Liverpool's 3-1 win over Bradford City on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp was quoted comparing Adam Lallana to a relatively unexpected player.
The man in question was Chelsea's Jorginho, a deeper-lying central midfielder who has developed a reputation for conducting his team's football from a withdrawn area of the pitch. Lallana on the other hand, has largely been deployed in offensive midfield zones under Klopp, linking the play and offering a glue of sorts in the final third.
“Adam is the kind of player he can play that and he enjoys this 'Jorginho' role – I hope (former Chelsea boss) Maurizio Sarri doesn't see the games or he will make an offer!” joked Klopp.
In terms of the profiles held by the two players, they are considered to be very different as a result of how they've been utilised over the course of their careers.
In the case of Jorginho, the Italian has received a considerable amount of criticism since arriving in England, largely due to the unfair comparisons with N'Golo Kante, who many believe should have been used in a defensive capacity under Sarri.
The Italian boss opted for Jorginho in his deepest midfield role not because of his defensive capability, but because of his technical level and ability to operate as an orchestrator behind many of his teammates. Just because a player is operating in a deeper role, that doesn't necessarily mean that his role has to be 'defensive'.
Lallana usage in a similar role would follow the same logic, with less emphasis on the defensive aspects of the game, and more focus on his possession game.
Unlike Chelsea, Liverpool now have a very settled system, with every player thoroughly understanding the key concepts of how to perform within a unit on the field.
This is crucial, as one of the reasons that Jorginho suffered was because the system around him was flawed, and it had numerous inefficiencies due to Sarri working with his squad for a limited amount of time. As a result of Klopp's football being so ingrained in the current squad, he can afford the luxury of including more creative players in his starting XI against weaker sides without his team suffering defensively.
Last season for example, Xherdan Shaqiri was regularly included at Anfield versus inferior opponents, purely as a means of finding openings. The Swiss attacker's defensive output is limited, but Liverpool didn't suffer because of the general strength of the overall system.
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