Steven Gerrard admitted last week that the last three months have been the worst of his long and distinguished career. Between an ill-timed slip against Chelsea and a whimper of an exit from Brazil with the national team, the now former England skipper hasn’t had much to smile about this summer. Looking forward though, Gerrard’s ship is headed for smoother waters with the arrival of Emre Can at Anfield.
Amongst all the purchases Liverpool have made thus far, one of the smaller moves not many paid much attention to was the acquisition of 20 year old Can. His 10 million pound move from Bayer Leverkusen was a lovely piece of business from Rodgers, and was on his way to Merseyside regardless of what trouble Luis Suarez was liable to instigate in Brazil. It’s clear that Liverpool had Can in their plans regardless, and here’s why.
To start, Can is a specimen of a person, his 6’1 height doing his physical power no justice, whatsoever. Kyle Martino, reporting for NBC sports at Fenway Park during Liverpool’s 0-1 loss to Roma, said it best; ‘this here, is a big boy.’ At just 20 years of age, Can already has the body of a player in his prime. He has showed he can compete with Europe’s best, evident from his display at Old Trafford in the Champions League for Bayer Leverkusen.
In a world where German players are being unearthed left and right as the stars of the future, it can be assumed Can’s heritage only adds to the potential. Similar to Mesut Ozil, Can is a Turkish-born German who has always held loyalty to the German National Team, and for good reason. He has been a mainstay in the German youth setup and looks primed to compete for a spot at the 2016 Euro and 2018 World Cup. With Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira set to be on the wrong side of 30 by the next World Cup, Can should almost be penciled into Die Mannschaft’s plans for Russia and 2018.
The big question surrounding Can’s departure from Bayern Munich a year ago was what’s wrong with this guy if they don’t want him? The notion that Bayern don’t want him is completely false, and letting him go was simply because he was surplus to requirements. Initially he was loaned to Leverkusen with a buy-back clause, but has since been let go altogether by the Bavarians. However, it’s hard to feel sorry for Bayern when it comes to personnel decisions...
All that aside, his appearances so far in Liverpool’s preseason tour of the United States have been spectacular. Can brings a much-needed physical edge to the Liverpool midfield, one that Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, and Lucas cannot match. Can also adds much-needed depth; he suspension of Jordan Henderson late in the season hurt the Reds, and Champions League football beckons a longer schedule. Just two days ago, Can earned the respect of every Liverpool fan in the world after he bullied Mario Balotelli off the ball seemingly with zero effort, took a touch, and delivered a cutting pass into the final third to spring Liverpool’s attack free.
This ability to turn defense into attack was perhaps Manchester City’s greatest strength last year; solidarity in the defensive midfield leads to this, and City have arguably the best pairing in the league in Fernandinho and Yaya Toure. Can’s runs into the attacking half are mirror images of a young Gerrard, while he has shown to have exceptional vision and passing ability.
Maybe the biggest lift the addition of Can brings to Liverpool is the decrease in pressure Steven Gerrard will face in the middle of the park. The slip against Chelsea was poetic justice for Liverpool (in no way is that a dig at the Liverpool captain), a sign that what they needed to improve on most as a team was their solidarity and physicality in midfield. Can improves the midfield in every aspect, while Liverpool’s fortunes could very well come back to haunt Bayern Munich.
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