What can Liverpool’s Joe Allen bring to Mark Hughes’ Stoke side?

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Much has been made of Stoke City’s ‘evolution’ since Mark Hughes arrived at the Britannia Stadium in the summer of 2013. The arrival of Xherdan Shaqiri, Marko Arnautovic and Bojan, among others, have instigated a move towards more fluent and progressive football that has yielded Premier League finishes of 11th, 9th and 9th.

In truth the changes have not been as radical often depicted, and Stoke still possess many of the traits that made them such obdurate opposition under Tony Pulis. Though Hughes’ three seasons at Stoke are the model of consistency, within those three seasons Stoke have been a sporadic force. Hughes’ men dispatched Chelsea and both Manchester clubs at the Britannia last term, but also lost at home to Watford, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion.

With this in mind, the Potters £13million move for Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen is interesting. Stoke’s mixed results suggest that the balance of their team was often on a knife edge, with Hughes trying to fill his team with as much flair as possible while retaining defensive balance. ‘Balance’ is a crucial ingredient in successful football teams, and the unassuming but effective Allen provides balance with and without the ball.

At times last season, Hughes struggled to balance his team; the ephemeral talents of Shaqiri and Arnautovic were deployed out wide and Ibrahim Afellay played in central midfield. This gave Stoke a rather flimsy and open look; an impression given credence when Spurs physically and technically dismantled them in a 4-0 victory at the Britannia in April.

Allen’s arrival could ameliorate this aspect of Stoke’s play; the Welsh international is a hard-worker, positionally astute and a composed force in the middle of park with a keen eye for a pass. Allen only made 19 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, and the chance to move to a club where he could be given the keys to team could be very appealing. Allen made it into the UEFA Technical Committee’s team of Euro 2016, along with his teammate Aaron Ramsey, and completed 85% of his passes during that tournament.

Some nicknames are wonderfully self-effacing, such as when Marc Overmars christened Ray Parlour the ‘Romford Pele’. Unfortunately for Allen, his former boss Brendan Rodgers once referred to him as the ‘Welsh Xavi’, a quip that has been used as a stick to beat Allen with ever since. The label has done him no favours, and the jokes made at his expense often disguise the fact that he is a very competent Premier League midfielder.

Like his soon to be ex-team mate Jordan Henderson, Allen doesn’t quite possess the array of talents to warrant having a team built around him, but he can be a very important link in the chain. With the type of talent Stoke possess further up the pitch, it is vital that they are given a platform to express themselves freely. Too often last season, they were shackled by defensive responsibilities. The likes of Shaqiri and Arnautovic need steady, consistent types alongside them to compensate for their enigmatic displays, and Joe Allen can be just that.

That rout at the hands of Spurs in April also highlighted how uncomfortable Stoke were in possession when pressed in their own half. Teams across the Premier League are no so athletic and well prepared that they can keep pressing for most of the match. If you want to play out from the back against such pressure, you must have midfielders who show for the ball and can take care of it. This was severely lacking against Spurs, and their constant concession of the ball allowed Tottenham to counter-attack on them with devastating effect. Allen has shown he is capable of taking the ball under such pressure, and having this type of midfielder could be an important step in Mark Hughes’ ‘evolution’.

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