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Ranking five of Liverpool FC’s most overrated players in recent history

By Pratyush

Posted on July 31, 2020

Being labelled “overrated: certainly is a very subjective term, since having expectations from a player in itself is a testament to their capabilities and talent. These are the players that certainly have the ability, but for a myriad of reasons could not live up to the hype over the years. Performing for a big club such as Liverpool FC always comes with its own set of pressures, and while some players live up to it, for others it could be a devastating blow to their careers.

Here, we take a look at some of the players on the pitch who for better or worse failed to shine in the limelight of Anfield.

5 Overrated Players At Liverpool FC

#5: Robbie Keane

To be fair, Robbie Keane isn’t overrated in general. Current record goalscorer for his national side, the Irishman has had a fairly successful career in his time with Tottenham Hotspurs. However, his brief performance(or the lack of) for the Reds is what sees him make this list.

Keane was an established goalscorer at Spurs before his arrival at Anfield in 2008 and was known to be a playmaker as well. Liverpool FC had lured the Irishman in for 19 million pounds, hoping that a partnership with Fernando Torres upfront would finally be enough to bring the coveted Premier League to the halls of Anfield. And Liverpool FC went close too that season, losing out on the league by just 4 points. Keane however, was not integral to that title run.

The Irishman never played the full 90 minutes in his first 19 games for the club and took 3 months to register his first goal for the Reds in the Premier League, his debut goal coming in against West Bromwich Albion in November of 2008. The Irish forward could not fit into the game plan Benitez had laid out for the team and was sold back to Spurs after just a single season in the Reds shirt. His form continued to be finicky during his second spell for Spurs and a player of his calibre never could reach the expectations that were set for him later on.

STATS:

SEASON	APPEARANCES	GOALS
2008-09	28	7
Total	28	7

#4: Mamadou Sakho

A PSG academy product, Sakho spent five years of his senior professional career with Les Parisiens before moving to Anfield in 2013 for a fee of 18 million pounds. Sakho was certainly promising and did not lack talent with the Frenchman holding the record of being the youngest player ever to captain a Ligue 1 side at the age of just 17. He was known for his tackling ability and had matured as a player, and hence was a welcome addition to the lamenting defence at Liverpool FC.

After his arrival, Sakho put in some decent performances in a Red shirt as well, often hailed as the sole anchor in a back four consisting of players like Lovren and Moreno. He was said to be a “beast in training” by the manager and his tackles though somewhat reckless were still deemed to be cleaner than his compatriots. With the arrival of Klopp, the Frenchman started getting more game time and looked as if he was approaching some sort of consistency in his game.

However, being the best amongst the worst pick of Liverpool FC defenders in a decade does not make you great, and Sakho had to learn this the hard way when an alleged doping scandal and indiscipline off the pitch strained his relationship with the manager. He was dropped from the senior squad and subsequently sold off to Crystal Palace. His performances at Selhurst Park did not significantly improve, and in hindsight, it becomes increasingly apparent that the former PSG defender was overrated beyond his capabilities.

STATS:

SEASON	APPEARANCES	GOALS
2013-14	19	1
2014-15	27	0
2015-16	34	2
Total	80	3

#3: Christian Benteke

With Luis Suarez departing the club and injury-prone Sturridge being out of action more frequently than ever before, the Reds did not have an out-and-out striker in the team. So in 2015, Liverpool FC paid a net amount of 32.5 million pounds to procure the services of this Belgian forward from Aston Villa, where he had previously shined scoring an impressive 42 times in 89 league appearances.

Benteke was good in his own rights, but the system Liverpool FC had in place never suited him. A big burly 6ft-3incher, he was a towering figure best suited to head in the crosses coming from the wings. Meanwhile, the Reds lacked a proper winger at the time too, relying on playing Coutinho and Firmino out of their ordinary positions at the wings.

And hence it was no surprise that Benteke, who was at one point pegged ahead of Lukaku in the national team, didn’t last long. His abilities were never utilised – which in turn affected his confidence and his performance flatlined. Scoring just ten goals in 42 matches across his careers, it’s safe to say that the big Belgian was a big let-down in terms of signings and quickly made a name for being one of the most overrated strikers in the league that season.

STATS:

SEASON	APPEARANCES	GOALS
2015-16	42	10
Total	42	10

#2: Joe Allen

Another signing from the Rodgers era, Allen was scooped up from the Welsh club for a fee of 15 million pounds in the summer of 2012. The former Liverpool FC manager was very vocal about his admiration for Allen, claiming “He’s incredible on the ball. His bodywork and intelligence for a 22-year-old is frightening. You will see when he comes into this team the difference he can make.”

And for the first few matches, “The Welsh Xavi” – as Rodgers liked to call him – did, in fact, make a difference. A player who flourishes during the transition from defence to attack, he was restricted to a strictly defensive role at midfield due to the absence of Lucas, but in spite of not playing in his natural position, he put in some superb performances.

However, that was it. His confidence started to taper off as the season progressed, and despite assurances by the manager that he still had faith in his talent and skills, the Welsh international never fit into the team. The next few seasons shared a similar story, and after Jurgen Klopp’s arrival, Allen was restricted to just being a rotational player making cup appearances.

A figure who was once seen as a future captain for his international team, now languishing with the reserves was finally sold to Stoke City for a sum of 13 million pounds in 2016 – where he was relegated to the Championship that same season.

STATS:

SEASON	APPEARANCES	GOALS
2012-13	37	2
2013-14	26	1
2014-15	32	1
2015-16	37	3
Total	132	7

ALSO READ – Liverpool FC’s 5 Most Underrated Players of All Time

#1: Emre Can

The most overrated ex-Red player in recent history, the young midfielder was bought in the summer of 2014 by then club manager Brendan Rodgers. He moved from German side Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of around 9.75 million.

Having risen from the youth ranks at Bayern Munich, Can was hailed to be “an inspirational young talent”. The club was in need of a future box to box midfielder, with Lucas Leiva entering his 30s and Gerrard in the latter stages of his career, and the young German was seen as the answer.

The Turkish-descended German initially made a slow start to his Anfield career after being sidelined with an ankle injury in the first few months of joining and was seen as rather reckless in his tackles and passing. He didn’t shy away from venturing forward, scoring some spectacular goals but also exposing the backline in the process.

He matured under Klopp and started 46 games in the 2015-16 season, but it was always the case of the “rough diamond”, his performances showing flashes of brilliance but pockmarked with individual errors.

His spectacular overhead kick against Watford in 2017 was voted the Goal of the Season, and it was undeniable that he had raw talent, but it was never fully achieved in his time at Anfield. Can rejected further offers of a contract extension at Liverpool FC, and joined Juventus on a free transfer in 2018. He never could flourish there for apparent reasons, and recently joined Borussia Dortmund on a four-year deal.

STATS: