Lallana’s development symbolic of Klopp’s first year at Liverpool

It was only 12 months ago that Adam Lallana’s Liverpool career looked to be at a crossroads. He was a source of immense frustration among Liverpool fans that were desperately looking for more than a few Cruyff turns. His fleeting involvement perhaps summed up the direction Liverpool had taken under Brendan Rodgers: flashes of brilliance undermined by an unshakeable inconsistency. Something had to give, and it did.

Saturday will mark the first year of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure as Liverpool manager and that period is perhaps best encapsulated by the development of Lallana. The 28-year-old has grown to embody everything Klopp wants from his players and he’s now one of the leaders in a team widely considered as serious title challengers.

At this point last season Liverpool had only taken 11 points from their opening seven fixtures and had conceded more goals (9) than they had scored (7). Lallana appeared in four of those matches and hadn’t contributed towards any goals, with a WhoScored rating of 6.76 ranking among Liverpool’s most ineffectual players in the attacking third.

The difference now could not be starker. Liverpool have scored more goals after seven league matches this season (18) than any of their previous six campaigns. Lallana has started in all seven and played a direct hand in a third of those goals (6 – three goals and three assists) – only Diego Costa (8) has scored or assisted more in the Premier League this season.  It’s all the more impressive when you consider Liverpool have already had to deal with away trips to Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea this season.

A groin injury suffered in their 2-1 win over Swansea before the international break has prevented Lallana from adding to the late winner he scored for England in the last round of matches and there are now fears he will not recover in time for the reception of Manchester United when club football resumes next weekend. It perhaps best exemplifies how high Lallana’s stock has risen over the past year that his loss in such a big fixture is now deemed as a real blow to Liverpool’s chances.

For losing Lallana wouldn’t just affect their free-flowing football, but Klopp would also be without one of the most important cogs to the way Liverpool function. The Reds manager has converted Lallana into a traditional central midfielder in an attempt to maximise his dynamism in their high-intensity pressing game.

The benefits have been priceless. Lallana is now winning possession all over the pitch more often and this has been particularly evident in more advanced positions. Lallana is regaining possession in the attacking third almost twice as many times per game under Klopp (0.7) than he was during the last 12 months of Rodgers’ tenure (0.4), which is the very essence of the German’s philosophy. Winning the ball as close to the opposition’s goal as possible will only increase your chances of scoring, so it is therefore unsurprising to learn that Liverpool have scored the most goals in the Premier League since Klopp’s arrival (72).

Lallana isn’t a player that has been short of confidence, but it has taken nearly two years since leaving Southampton for £25m to find a defined role in the team. Many have benefitted from Klopp’s style of management, but perhaps none more so than Lallana, who the Liverpool boss has taken a particular shine to since he arrived.

"Adam was, from the first second, important," said Klopp on Sky Sports last month. “I knew him from Southampton and I thought he was a really good player. Since we worked together it’s always getting better. He can play different positions, he’s quick, he’s mentally strong, he’s a smart player.”

Lallana and Klopp have shared an unusual bond over the last 12 months on and off the field. As next door neighbours, both are perhaps becoming accustomed to seeing each other more than they previously would have imagined, but the sight of Lallana’s improvements have been there for everyone to see. The footballer that was once berated by his own fans has now become one of their most important.

Which player has benefitted most during Klopp’s 12 months in charge of Liverpool? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below