How do you solve a problem like Emre Can?
On Friday, it was reported on the back pages that Liverpool midfielder Emre Can is a possible transfer target for Italian giants Juventus.
The Reds midfielder impressed with his performances before Christmas, but despite getting the nod ahead of Georginio Wijnaldum in midfield regularly last month, he failed to impress either the manager or the fans.
Can will be out of contract at Anfield in 2018, and Juventus are already reportedly considering a swoop with no signs of the German signing a new deal at present.
A month or so ago, I was saying how we should not be selling Emre Can in the January transfer window. I still hold this thought, despite some of his performances last month.
Personally, I think some of the reactions to his poor performances have been a bit out of proportion and cynically knee-jerk.
First of all, let’s not forget how good Can was before Christmas. Most of our fans were highlighting how his presence added more guile to the midfield.
I’m not advocating Can’s consistently poor performances last month though. It’s clear he doesn’t make a good partnership in the middle of the park with compatriot Jordan Henderson.
If anything, he’s looking tired, rusty and doesn’t even seem like completing a simple pass. That said, it feels that he’s becoming too much a scapegoat for our failures last month.
You could easily blame Jurgen Klopp’s poor team selection and reluctance to delve into the transfer market, the lack of squad depth, the rubbish defence or not having a Plan B in the wake of Sadio Mane’s absence. You can even blame external factors such as the wind if you want!
Can’s inclusion ahead of Wijnaldum may have played a part too, but keeping him in the spotlight is not really benefiting him or the team.
Whilst the German may not be the finished article yet , it’s not to say he’s a waste of space in the squad for the rest of the season. For me, he still has his part to play in the team.
Should, and may I stress should, Klopp revert to a back three, we could see an upturn in fortunes for the much-maligned Can.
Why? Well, in the 2014/15 season under Brendan Rodgers, some of you may recall the Reds making their worst league start for 50 years – as they started life without star striker Luis Suarez. Rodgers eventually saw the light, and switched from a back four to a back three.
This saw Can often involved at right centre-back and how his fortunes changed for the better. He looked far more composed and comfortable in his deeper role, even though he fancies himself as a box-to-box midfielder.
The 3-4-2-1 gave us plenty of balance and pace with the wing-backs, whilst Can’s performances improved as did the team’s on the whole.
Therefore, if Klopp does switch to three at the back, I think Can will be very much at the centre of the backline.
However, I don’t see Jurgen making that tactical change, we are yet to see him finally change his formation this season but if he does go with a back three, I think Matip, Lovren and Can deserve to be at the heart of it.
A 3-4-3 will enable youngsters such as Joe Gomez and Trent-Alexander Arnold to stamp their authority on the team possibly next season – but with the majority of our upcoming fixtures against ‘lesser’ sides, we really can’t afford to play Can in midfield over Wijnaldum. However, Emre Can’s days in the Liverpool squad are not outnumbered just yet (for the rest of the season, anyway).