Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Klopp has Lallana fit, firing and playing best football of his career
ADAM LALLANA is Jurgen Klopp’s all-Action Man.
That’s the view of Southampton legend Matthew Le Tissier, who says the England international is enjoying the time of his life under the Liverpool boss.
Le Tissier believes the forward has blossomed into a vital cog in the Red machine because of his ability with either foot and the fact his confidence levels have skyrocketed.
But where the man nicknamed ‘Le God’ has seen the biggest improvement is in the 28-year-old’s conditioning.
The former Saints star said: “Obviously, I watched Adam a lot at Southampton. And he excited me. He developed an understanding with Rickie Lambert that carried the club through two divisions to the Premier League. They weren’t on their own, of course, but it played a huge part in the club’s success.
“It soon became clear he had the ability to play for a big club. It was no surprise to me that he moved on.
“It wasn’t plain sailing for him at first under Brendan Rodgers. It has taken Adam time to settle in.
“Now he has. In some respects, he would be a dream player for Klopp because he is twofooted. Defenders cannot show him on to his favourite
foot if he can use both equally well. So that gives Klopp a lot of flexibility. He can swap and change.
“One area where I have seen a marked improvement is in his fitness levels. At Liverpool, his work ethic has definitely improved. I’ve seen him cover every single blade of grass in some matches.
“He’s been prepared to go back and help his midfielders or track runs. And that is in addition to the work he is paid to do up front – create and score. I genuinely think we are now seeing the best of Adam Lallana in terms of his ability, understanding of the game and his energy levels. His time is now.”
Le Tissier (left) singled out Sadio Mane as the other former Saints’ player who he believes will have a big say in Liverpool’s future, although he believes the Reds need to add more quality in specific areas if they are to become title winners. He said: “What sticks out this season for Liverpool is the amount of points they have dropped against teams near the foot of the table.
“By my reckoning, they have lost 17 points against the likes of Bournemouth, Swansea, Hull, and drawn at Sunderland.
“Against the top teams, they’ve performed well. They’ve taken four points from Chelsea, for instance.
“They haven’t had any European football either and were knocked out of the FA Cup early on, so the players have not been overworked. Yes, they have been unlucky with injuries but it probably tells us about the mentality.
“It needs to be sharp all the time in the Premier League because, if you let your standards drop, you can lose to anyone.
“They need real quality in a few positions. James Milner has done well at left-back, but that’s not his natural position. And they need another central midfielder because Emre Can doesn’t convince me. Klopp probably needs to look at his centre-halves too.
“So there have been big positives from his first season. But with Champions League football on the horizon, Klopp has to add real quality in a few areas, if they are to end up top of the pile next season.”