Lallana now England's most important player ahead of Scotland clash
The last time England faced Scotland at Wembley back in 2013, Rickie Lambert came off the bench to score the winning goal with his first touch as the Three Lions landed a 3-2 victory. Lambert had just come off a strong season for Southampton, during which he netted 15 league goals to earn his place in the squad at the time. He was the Saints’ only representative, with Adam Lallana perhaps unfairly overlooked.
Three months after the win over Scotland, Lallana earned his first England cap in a 2-0 home defeat to South American side Chile. That season, the midfielder churned out a hugely impressive campaign for the south coast side as he, Lambert and Dejan Lovren each earned a move to Liverpool. The trajectory of the two English players, though, could not have been more different since. Lambert struggled at Anfield after securing his dream return to the Reds, with the experienced striker registering just seven league starts in his solitary season at the club.
Lallana, meanwhile, has featured far more frequently following his move to Merseyside and it can even be justified that he is now one of Liverpool’s most important players. Indeed, a WhoScored rating of 7.25 is among the best of all Liverpool players in the Premier League this season, while the club lacked his influence in midfield prior to his 60th minute introduction in the recent 0-0 draw with Manchester United. The 28-year-old was recovering from a groin injury sustained in Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Swansea and subsequently was not fit enough to start against their fierce rivals.
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Due to the problem, Lallana also missed the 2-0 win over Malta and 0-0 draw with Slovenia and his absence showed. England were always expected to overcome the former, but looked devoid of creative ideas against the latter. That none of the front six against Slovenia – Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier providing support for Jesse Lingard, Dele All, Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge – gained a WhoScored rating higher than 6.8 speaks volumes. In the 1-0 win at Slovakia, Lallana was named the man of the match after his late goal secured all three points after an all-round efficient performance were so many of his teammates flattered to deceive.
While he played in a more advanced role in the victory – Sam Allardyce’s only game in charge of England during his infamous reign – Lallana’s impact in the midfield means interim boss Gareth Southgate would be wise to deploy the Liverpool man in the middle of the park in a 4-3-3 formation, similar to the one he played in the 2-0 win over Malta and that he now plays under Jurgen Klopp. His offensive and defensive offerings are perfect for a team that plays in such a system, with an average of 1.6 tackles per game one of the best of all Liverpool players.
1.6 successful dribbles per game also ranks highly for the Reds, while 1.2 key passes per league match is another respectable return. Moreover, of the players in the current England squad to attempt 25 or more dribbles this season, only Jack Wilshere (76%) has a better success rate than Lallana (66.7%). England need a tenacious performer to both win possession for his side and carry the ball forward from midfield and Lallana fits the bill perfectly. With the persistent pair of James McArthur and Darren Fletcher widely expected to start for Scotland, Lallana’s impact in the middle of the park could be vital, both in easing pressure on the England goal and creating for others.
Only Kevin De Bruyne (6) has registered more assists than Lallana (5) in England’s top tier this term, while the latter has been directly involved in more Premier League goals (8) than any other British player this season. Scotland, though, are not without their own creative outlets, with Robert Snodgrass set to play a key role for Gordon Strachan’s side. The 29-year-old has been directly involved in five – four goals and one assist – of the 10 Premier League goals Hull have scored this campaign.
Both Snodgrass and Matt Ritchie have the ability to stretch the England defence if afforded the space to do so, while the former’s set piece taking ability will pose a threat to the hosts. Conveniently, though, is that Lallana is averaging just 0.3 fouls per game in the top flight of English football, meaning he is unlikely to concede too many opportunities for Scotland to attack the England goal. Either way, Lallana has gone from a potential bit-part player to key man for both club and country, with Friday’s meeting with Scotland another opportunity to prove his worth to a number of supporters that still doubt his role in the side.
