Emre Can is boss. There’s no debating that now but at one stage, not that long ago, there were serious question marks over his role in the Liverpool team, with many fans doubting just how good he was.
Going into the 2015/16 season Can’s position in the team was a bit of a puzzle. His debut season with the club saw then Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers play him in a variety of roles to varying degrees of success. From his nightmare cameo at right-back to the impressive spell as the right-sided centre-back in a back three, before a brief period in the centre of midfield. it was a baptism of fire for the then 20-year- old German, one that threw up more questions than it did answers.
Fans were still undecided on just what type of player Liverpool had on their hands as the Reds kicked off the new season. Overhyped by some, undervalued by others, there was very little middle ground, and the fact the fanbase was so fractured – bordering on toxic to one another around – during that period probably went against him.
If you were pro-Rodgers, Can was overrated by the Twitter scouts. If you were anti-Rodgers, Can was just another talent being terribly mismanaged by a manager out of his depth while he tried to build a Premier League proven XI.
Although he wasn’t a starter to begin with he found himself in the team after an injury to Jordan Henderson – and he never looked back. When Jurgen Klopp was appointed in October he made Can an important part of his midfield unit, and it was rather fitting that the Liverpool number 23 scored the first goal of the Klopp reign.
His performances were inconsistent, but it’s what you’d expect from a 21-year- old. When he was good he was really good and when he was bad he made you question whether letting Steven Gerrard was the right idea. Klopp wisely persisted with the midfielder knowing eventually he’d iron the faults out of his game, but knowing he’d only be able to do so with exposure to first team football. His faith paid dividends in the Europa League Semi-Final against Villarreal.
Can had been missing with an ankle injury picked up in the win against Borussia Dortmund. Nobody expected him to be fit enough to start but to the surprise of everybody he was named in the starting XI. He repaid Klopp’s faith in him by giving the performance of his life. With James Milner getting attracted to the ball like a moth to flame it was up to Can to patrol the midfield, but he didn’t just patrol it, he dominated it. He was a one-man- midfield, setting the tone from the first minute as the team went at the Spaniards with ferocity. It was a captain’s performance and people rightly sat up and took notice.
It just goes to show that, no matter how clichéd it sounds, a year in football is a long time. Emre Can went from questionable starter to midfield juggernaut in the space of six months. Along the way, his small collection of admirers turned into a full-on cult following, and he was soon the poster boy for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. It was quite the season.
Fast forward to the start of the 2016/17 season and there are yet again question marks surrounding Emre Can. This time, it’s not whether he’s good enough but how he’s going to get back into the team when he’s back fit from his injury.
The Liverpool midfield, with Jordan Henderson as the deepest midfielder, initially struggled early on in the season. The Reds looked vulnerable against Arsenal (conceding three times in a 4-3 victory) and were lacklustre at Burnley in a 2-0 defeat. Both teams seemed to target Henderson and his inability to launch attacks from deep as they looked to stifle Liverpool. It looked as though the absence of both Can and Mamadou Sakho would impact on their ability to build from the back as a disjointed Liverpool looked to navigate their way through a difficult run of games.
Henderson was disappointing in those opening two matches, but then in the following games against Spurs, Leicester and Chelsea, there was a marked improvement and, suddenly, Can’s reintroduction into the team wasn’t quite as clear cut as many had originally thought.
So, if Klopp wants to fit Can into the team how could he go about it? You can’t help but wonder whether Klopp will revert back to a midfield two now Can is back or if he’ll continue with the successful midfield three.
The Deepest Midfielder.
It was a role he excelled in last season as part of both a two man and a three-man midfield. The centre-backs would split and he’d take up the role between them acting as an auxiliary centre-back as the team looked to build from the back. His incisive and decisive passes helped Liverpool turn defence into attack in a matter of seconds, and he seemed rather at home in that role.
However, Henderson seems to be coming into his own in that role and, although he’s far from perfect there, it would be ruthless to drop your captain and have an unfit and out of form player play such an important role which requires a lot of discipline.
Of course, Can needs games to find his feet again, but it can’t be at the detriment of the team in the short term, can it?
Box-to-Box
It’s not a position that’s foreign to Can, but it’s not the one he excelled at in the past, and both Adam Lallana and Gini Wijnaldum have impressed in their staggered box-to- box roles this season. Although Liverpool won’t have as many games this season compared to previous years, the two box-to- box players do a lot of running in games so there may be a chance for Klopp to give Can 20/25 minutes in that role to build up fitness and see out games.
There’s also a possibility, considering just how flexible and versatile the midfielders are, that Klopp rotates Can with the three that have been starting so far this season, switching positions throughout the game. It gives them all the chance to express themselves further forward and it gives the team a distinct advantage over other teams who rely on specialist players in those roles.
The most obvious solution would be to have Can as the deepest midfielder with Henderson, Wijnaldum and Lallana rotating depending on who the opposition is. It also gets Henderson back into his favoured box-to- box role.
Whatever Klopp opts to go with it will no doubt be meticulously planned. Everything he touches as of late seems to turn to gold, so question the manager all you like, but don’t doubt him. He’s in a position most managers would dream to be in. Selection headaches, and not in a bad way. Having Emre Can back can be nothing other than a positive.
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