It’s obvious. Not much has gone well for Liverpool this season. The media has gladly indicated that regularly this year. Personally, defending this team week after week is quite difficult for a fan like myself. However, through the adjustment period of an entirely newly formed back line and a completely revamped strike force, there are signs of improvement.
Liverpool were not dominated by Real Madrid in Madrid, and more than matched the play of soon-to-be title-holders Chelsea. Through these two matches, one thing was constant: Emre Can looks a fine player.
Against the European champions, Liverpool were not able to create any great scoring chances. They did maintain lots of possession in the middle of the park, with Can playing a fantastic role retaining and maintaining possession. He ended his night with a 92% passing accuracy (52 passes made out of 56 attempts), indicating great tactical awareness and movement.
In the match against table topping Chelsea, Can scored a rather fortunate goal through a bounce. To his credit, the confidence and knowledge to get himself into a good position was fantastic. Can and Jordan Henderson also combined to neutralize the penetrative attacking threat posed by playmaking wonder Cesc Fabregas. He sported a 85.7% passing accuracy (42 passes made out of 49), with predators like Nemanja Matic and Ramires intercepting passes as best they can.
The 20-year old used his performance as a springboard to launch himself into the starting line-up against Chelsea, and he will now surely utilize this performance as a stepping stone to get into the regular first team ahead of the likes of Joe Allen and Adam Lallana. In Can, the Reds have a young, physical and stable presence who can distribute the ball effectively. Can’s underrated dribbling abilities also pose a threat to opposing sides.
Brendan Rodgers paid a steep £10m for Can, and such is the belief that surrounds him. With an arsenal of skills and a visible presence of maturity, as evident from his appointment of German U-21 captain, look for Emre Can to become a dependable starter for Liverpool as the season wears on.
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