"So-called pundits who don’t know the dynamics of a team and how
it functions" feel Rodgers' wrath as he predicts £15m man will
prove a bargain
Brendan Rodgers has warned the critics who suggest he
overpaid for Joe Allen: “You’ll be calling him the bargain of the
season in a few months”.
Unlike Rodgers, Newcastle legend Shearer does not think as
highly of Allen's abilities. In a recent Match of the Day program,
he criticised the Welsh midfielder for being too cautious in
possession and urged him to attempt more attack-minded passes.
Shearer's evaluation has angered Rodgers, Reds manager who
brought Allen with him from former club Swansea in a £15million
deal and admitted he would have paid
"many more millions" than that if required - is staggered by
that view.
In response, he has branded Shearer a ‘so-called pundit’ who
doesn’t understand the importance of keeping possession in the
modern game.
Liverpool chief Rodgers, who has drawn comparisons between Allen
and Spanish great Xavi, blasted: “I saw something criticising Joe
for not playing risk passes.
“Unbelievable. Our so-called pundits who don’t know the dynamics
of a team and how it functions. Joe will prove an absolute
bargain.”
“Joe’s role is to keep the ball. And that, in Britain, is a
special talent. It is why Paul Scholes is still playing to his age.
It is such a rare talent for a midfielder to rarely give the ball
away.
On the attack: Shearer questioned whether Allen does enough to
create goals
“People have talked about him and his fee, but in time he will
be an absolute bargain.”