03 Jan 2017 07:20:25
Hi eds (particularly 001 and 002), am interested in your perspectives on Emre Can please.

There have been times when I've been hugely impressed by his potential, mostly
1) when he played RCB under BR for a while
2) when at the base of a 4-2-3-1 but only when alongside Hendo who's mobility, positional sense and passing range complemented his physicality and tank like runs from deep very well

Of late however he seems a bit lost and seems to lack either
1) the mobility, positional sense and passing vision to replace Hendo in our 4-3-3, and/ or
2) he lacks the slick movement of Llalana/ efficiency of Wijnaldum further forward, and his slowness on the ball is proving a blocker rather than an enabler for the forwards

Question is do you see this as just part of his learning curve given he's so young, or do you also worry our current style of play doesn't actually make the most of his strengths and he'll continue to struggle as you can't teach the mobility and agility that our system requires (similar to Benteke for example)

{Ed001's Note - you can develop mobility and agility, but he doesn't need to do so, he can just develop his play to offer us a different option for different opponents. The issue is the slowness on the ball, similar to Lallana in previous seasons, where he is not quite in tune with his team mates. That should be something he can learn. It really depends on his ability to evolve and develop himself. Players can be under the best coach in the world and learn nothing. It is up to them to take the lessons from each training session and match and learn from them.

Right now, Can is not learning, but he is still young and players regularly do go through these downturns in form. Their body has matured, to a large degree, but their mind has got nowhere near that same development level. That is what Can needs to focus on, developing his mind to read the game better, as his reading of the game is appalling, hence why he struggled so badly (despite you being impressed by him) at centre back as soon as anyone actually targeted him.}

1.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 08:48:54
He needs to learn it quick. There are enough players in the academy who are crying out for a chance. Not a big fan of him and I don't know what he brings to the team other than his physique So does sissokho and Wanyama. He has one good game and then go missing for months.
Can has no discipline to play the deeper role nor he displace Lallana or Wiji playing higher up. Klopp is struggling to fit him into the team.

2.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 09:11:35
Emre was poor, is he overweight? Does he look like a long term solution in that position. No. but he's got time on his hands to change.
Did we not win the game because of him? No I don't think so, we did not create enough clear chances considering the domination of possession and shots on goal.
Yes they scored 2 penalties but on another day we would of scored 4.
Lallana dropping deep didn't help as his speed in and around the box was missed, sturridge played well but no one seemed to want to ride his wave and up their game.

3.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 09:31:35
Thanks for the reply Ed - much appreciated and hope he can step up quickly. He has much work to do to fit in the current setup.

Right now I'd rather see Stewart (DM) or Grujic/ Ejaria (further forward) on the team sheet in a 4-3-3, and that's saying a lot given Can is already a capped international player and how much potential I thought he had 12 months ago.

That is unless we go back to a 4-2-3-1 and play him alongside Gini or Stewart.

{Ed001's Note - I am sure he will learn given time.}

4.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 10:01:26
Emre has shown enough quality at times. This is the point of a squad. You are right in that there are others from the Academy or on the fringes of the 1st XI and the Bench that will fight him for his place.
He is definitely not a bad player and I like him in the squad. Nobody is a complete player at 21 or consistently good at that age. The only one who delivers constantly is Delli. and we missed out on him.

5.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 10:07:59
If we don't have Hendo available I think that Stewart should absolutely be starting in front of the defence, not Can. For me, Can plays when he's preferred to Gini or he doesn't play atm, that's the job he does.

6.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 10:17:55
Eric Dier learned that role in less than what 12 months and was arguably the best player last season at the base. I know many don't rate him but he did learn that role magnificently.

{Ed001's Note - Eric Dier had played there before. He came through a youth system that teaches players a number of positions.}

7.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 10:20:54
I agree Harry but I think there's more to him then what we are currently seeing.

8.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 10:36:41
People need to give players time and one or two bad games does mean he's rubbish. You going to get this with young players.

9.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 14:49:17
Ed is spot on. Emre is still a young player and he`s going through what young players go through in their development. To me until he figures things out, he is not a Klopp- type DM for the reasons Ed and others have presented cos he simply is not there yet in his development or is maybe trying to find his best position in midfield.

However, his qualities are more than useful. If he plays next to a DM like Hendo, he is more effective as he can get forward and press, score or assist as he has shown he has that in his locker this season.

I think he should play next to a DM due to his lack of awareness, speed of thought and positional sense, all things needed in order to play the DM position especially, the way Hendo plays it which is exactly how Klopp wants it to be played.

10.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 17:22:12
I have one wish for Can, he needs to develop "coolness" as Klopp would say. He needs to be more composed in possession.

11.) 03 Jan 2017
03 Jan 2017 18:56:43
Spot on eds, I first noticed his exceptionally bad reading of the game while he was playing with Germany. He was well off the pace and not near the level of the German national team.
Anyway, he has not developed at all in the last year or so from what I can see.
I was really excited by his potential when he came in but when you see no progression you start to question.
He's still very very young so I hope in a year or even two he can grow into the player he can Potentially be.