24-year-old Nathaniel Clyne has become the most recent Southampton hotshot to transfer out of the south and up to Liverpool. Last summer, the team sheet for the red and white stripes took a battering, with the majority of the club’s most instrumental players departing. Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren were three of whom that fled; the trio ended up at Anfield, but it wasn’t plain sailing in the same fashion it had been with Saints. Their bright futures looked somewhat in jeopardy. Now that Clyne has penned a contract with Liverpool to the tune of £12.5 million, should fans be concerned that he too will suffer the same fate? Will Clyne be as integral and fully utilised for Liverpool as he was for Saints?
Nathaniel Clyne’s career with Southampton began in 2012, after leaving Crystal Palace, the team for which he had donned a jersey for four years. Clyne seems the sort of player content for a while with clubs, rather than one to up and leave simply after a season. However, news and media outlets have displayed his lack of desire to stay with Saints abundantly of late. This is most likely based upon his designs to further his experience whilst he’s in such top form, but he’s certainly been a crucial performer for Saints. This has especially been the case under Ronald Koeman; a manager who gladly ekes out as much as he can muster from his men.
Will Nathaniel Clyne Struggle at Anfield?
Ironically, Clyne’s first major contribution of last season occurred in their opening fixture of the campaign, against Liverpool. Granted, the Scouse side won the match, but the one goal Saints bagged was through Clyne’s pure skill. Perhaps that’s the sort of lasting trickery opponents look to snatch during transfer windows. However, despite his prowess at the back for Saints – defending, fancy footwork and even goals – this does not automatically place him in the same comfortable position in a Liverpool strip. It can take time to bond, to gel with a new bunch of team-mates.
Rickie Lambert was a hugely inspirational player in a Saints kit. His first season with Liverpool, however, was such a contrast; a couple of goals were tallied to Lambert’s name, but that was all. Something of a benchwarmer was the unfortunate twist of fate for the 33-year-old striker. His performance, or lack thereof, does start to beg the question as to whether there was any need for Liverpool to even buy him last summer, but I suppose they weren’t to know that Lambert would not mesh well.
Adam Lallana did not endure quite the same image last season for Liverpool. This man has always been brimming with potential, and really was one to watch with the ball. His ability to burst into space and dribble the ball into necessary areas, setting up goals and opportunities makes him vital for the Reds, where Lambert was not so. Although it wasn’t the most spellbinding of seasons for Lallana, it wasn’t a failure by any stretch; with new blood at Liverpool, he might just get even more chances to thrive. Hopefully for Clyne, he might make his mark in much the same way and, therefore, pave a very fresh and fruitful career under Brendan Rodgers.
Dejan Lovren was the other Saint to head to Liverpool last summer. Somewhat similarly to Lallana, his contributions were a bit of a flop. Errors made by the defender often led consequently to goals for the opposition, which will never be received well, especially with a new club.
It’s often the goal scorers who are scrutinised the most in football; if you’re a striker, then you’re paid to sink the ball into the back of the net, without excuses. However, the line of defence can be victimised for quite the same. In Clyne’s position, he must be able to mop up. At a major club such as Liverpool, this task might even be hammered more so than with Saints, simply due to the additional weight of a larger, healthier club history. If Clyne manages to somehow do a Lambert or, worse, a Lovren, then he could be in big trouble. However, given his energy and hunger to assimilate at Liverpool, and enjoy the heights at a chief Premier League club, then he might just do swimmingly.
