Analysing Adam Lallana’s transformation for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp this season

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Adam Lallana signed a contract extension at Liverpool this week, which will see the English midfield earn a reported £150,000 per week as he commits his future to the club until 2020.

With his improvement this year, a new contract extension was no surprise, but what has changed in the player’s mentality, performances, and statistics?

He has gone from being what seemed like a poor piece of business by Brendan Rodgers when he arrived on Merseyside from Southampton, to now being a significant and effective part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

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Clearly, the appointment of Klopp has really benefitted Lallana, who was recently awarded ‘England’s Player of the Year’ for 2016. The German manager has injected energy into this Liverpool squad, not only in the way they play but also in the way he coaches, constantly motivating and encouraging his players whether that be on the training ground or on the sidelines.

Much was made of Klopp’s ‘Gegenpressing’ style when he arrived in England. The counter-pressing tactic he employed at  Dortmund brought much success between the years of 2008 to 2015. He has implemented a similar tactical stance at Liverpool, and it has something Lallana has excelled under.

Gegenpressing requires great fitness capabilities, as the player must look to press the ball immediately after it has lost in a team effort to win it back as quickly as possible in the opposition’s half or, alternatively, force a long ball out.

Fitness is something Lallana naturally possesses, but we have seen Lallana excel tactically in this system as well. The player knows when to press, where to press and how to press, and is often the initial trigger for his teammates to go with him as well.

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Lallana boasts an impressive Cruyff turn as well as a natural ability to carry the ball and pick a pass. However, this season he has also looked more effective in creating and scoring goals, and the player is currently in his best scoring season for the club.

Last season, Lallana’s final product was lacking. He scored just four times and only set up six goals. He’s already beaten both these tallies this term. The Englishman has seven goals and seven assists to his name already.

Clearly, the player has improved, and it is worth noting that this season, his seven goals have all come from a midfield position, where he can press more effectively and see more of the ball before arriving in the box late to finish a move.

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For Klopp, the Englishman is one of the first on the team sheet, and alongside Phillipe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané, Liverpool boast one of the most threatening attacks in the league.

Adam Lallana has deservedly been rewarded for fantastic performances on the pitch but it has clearly been the dedication away from the weekend’s action, alongside the fantastic coaching of Klopp, that has seen the English midfield reach new heights in this latest season. Liverpool fans will be hoping for much of the same for the next few years.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Kody platter.