One of the most impressive aspects of the Jurgen Klopp whirlwind that’s swept through Anfield in the last month or so has been the tremendous hunger, desire and workb rate he’s instilled in his squad. Although that should of course be a given at any Premier League club, the levels of pressing, harrying and chasing he’s brought to the club have impressed all onlookers.
A key part of this has been his insistence that the forward players, mainly in the team for what they can do with the ball rather than without it, also get stuck in and never let opposition defenders have a moment of peace. One of the key components of this 'gegenpressing', high-intensity strategy is a man who has made a career out of working his socks off and never letting anyone down... James Milner.
Milner has steadily gone from a flying winger/forward who was still very raw in his early days at Leeds United and Newcastle to a slightly less pacey but noticeably more dependable player who is comfortable on either flank or indeed in the middle. Having been used predominantly there since moving to Liverpool in the summer, Milner is clearly getting what he wanted after he stated soon after arriving at Anfield that the chance to move into the centre of the park was a big reason behind leaving City and crossing the Manchester-Liverpool divide.
The performances he’s turned in since the start of the season, especially under Klopp, have justified that insistence, and surely suggest that that is his best position going forward, both for club and country. He’s now coming to the age where he has the potential to become a real leader in this comparatively young and inexperienced Liverpool dressing room, which was no doubt one of the reasons Brendan Rodgers bought him. His passing range, ability to crack off long range strikes and experience could prove vital in that hugely important area of central midfield. Together with Jordan Henderson, a tremendous player but still relatively young, he has the potential to form a Champions League-quality midfield relationship, which could in turn see Liverpool start to properly dominate games against the best sides in the country.
This new role in midfield should also, I believe, apply when Milner plays for England. Although Roy Hodgson has plenty of options in that particular area, it’s hard to think of any as solid and dependable as the man from Leeds. The combination of him and Henderson, who obviously know each other's games very well after playing in tandem under Klopp this season, could easily be a workable partnership for the Three Lions next summer in France at the EUROs. Although they might not offer the same dynamism and flair that other options (Jack Wilshere, Adam Lallana, Ross Barkley, etc) might do, they will both offer energy, work rate and determination in spades, as well as the manager knowing that they will never be caught out defensively.
Milner may not be the fastest or the most skilful winger to ever pull on an England shirt, but that doesn’t matter anymore now that we have an abundance of tricky wide men. Where we are a little short of quality perhaps is central midfield, and here I believe Milner could be a key defensive presence for England if given that position next summer. Not in all games by any means, but against the top teams his solid presence could be a vital one in that area.
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