Liverpool new boy Emre Can is tipped for big things, but how long will it take for the young German to make the famous number 23 shirt his own?
Can arrives at Liverpool FC with glowing reports from former manager Sami Hyypia and compatriot Didi Hamann - so, what does next season have in store for the German U21 international & what can he bring to the Merseyside club?
Midfield was something of a talking point for the Reds last season, a rocky start in which the infamous Lucas-Gerrard double-pivot was used and overrun, equaled itself out as the Reds returned to a three-man midfield and adopted a diamond formation when more control was required. The watershed moment of the LFC midfield came in December, Steven Gerrard finally dropped deep and adopted the regista role and in turn balance seemed to be restored. However, it seems unlikely that Gerrard will be able to keep his level across four tournaments and thus a new face has been recruited, Emre Can.
A versatile young player, featuring as a left-back, centre-back, box-box midfielder and as a defensive midfielder, Can will offer depth and utility to Brendan Rodgers' squad. Despite his versatility, Can made it clear in his first interview with LFCTV that he saw himself as a central midfielder - you'd think Rodgers and his team share those sentiments.
Can is a superb dribbler, in 24 Bundesliga appearances Emre completed 2.5 dribbles per game - a huge increase on Jordan Henderson's 0.5 completion rate. Can reaped three goals and three assists from these dribbles, to use Henderson as a comparison point again somewhat dwarfs these stats with Liverpool's number-fourteen scoring 4 and creating 7. Despite the lower conversion rate, these numbers suggest Can is more than capable of playing as box-box midfielder as part of either a 433 or the diamond formation.
Defensive figures are where Can really begins to shine. The German U21 boasts a 2.6 tackle per-game success rate, a 0.2 increase on those won by Henderson. Can reads the game very well also, if you are to compare is interception rate (1.6) to Henderson (1) and Gerrard (1.4) it's clear to see that Emre Can will add some 'reading' of the game to LFC's midfield - with Brendan Rodgers being an advocate of 'in game intelligence' these numbers should be exciting. The only 'glaring' negative figure in and amongst all of Can's numbers are his pass accuracy, down at 77.9% but at twenty-years of age the midfielder was always going to be slightly rough around the edges. Once his passing is brought up to pace, Can certainly has a future as a defensive midfielder, should that be the direction LFC choose to push him toward.
This will perhaps be something of an adaptation season for Emre Can but that's not to say he won't bring something to the table. Whether it be as a starting box-box midfielder, an option from the bench when looking to solidify a game or a deputy to Gerrard in domestic cup games - Can will get minutes in the famous Red next season. To call a player who made five Champions League appearances for Leverkusen 'not ready' would be to do Can a disservice - however much more development is sure to come over the future seasons at LFC, who certainly have a player on their hands.
If anyone is to be the future of Liverpool FC's midfield, Emre, can.
