If one had to ask any Liverpool fan what is Brendan Rodgers’ favourite word since taking over as Liverpool manager; 2 out of 3 Reds would say “Character”. The Northern Irishman uses word so often that jokes like ‘If you say Brendan Rodgers thrice staring at a mirror with a lit candle; he’ll appear behind you and say – You showed great character’ have flooded social media. Drawing conclusions on Rodgers’ love for character in a player and what looks like a very crucial transfer window ahead for the former Swansea boss – here is a Character sketch of a long-time Liverpool target – James Milner from Manchester City.
The 29 year old versatile midfielder is out of contract at the end of this season and despite repeated attempts at renewing his deal by the City officials; Milner looks set to leave Manchester for other pastures. Where would Milner fit in for Liverpool ? To put it in simple terms, the departure of Steven Gerrard is going to leave a hole as the size of the trophy drought at Anfield in the Liverpool midfield. While Liverpool fans might deem this borderline blasphemy but Milner could very well be a suitable replacement for the departing skipper.
A player any manager would love to have on his team, his Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini made it clear to all that he is a huge fan of the former Leeds United youth teamer’s attributes. Speaking about Milner and his importance to the squad, Pelligrini asked the media to show him a more complete player than his midfielder in an interview with the The Guardian. “Find me a more complete English player. There are players who’re better technically, yes. Quicker players, yes. Players who head better, yes. But show me one who does all the things Milner does well. There isn’t one.”
The former Aston Villa man has operated at right full-back for England, been used on both flanks, in the centre and more recently as a makeshift striker. “I played him as a forward and the team averaged three goals a game,” said Pellegrini. “He creates a lot of movement and space for the rest of his teammates.” However for all his versatility and work ethic his most frequent position at City is among the substitutes. Pellegrini admits it’s a difficult situation. “He’s one of those players that when you leave him out you’re left with this feeling of injustice. It hurts because he should always play but sometimes you need a technical player with other characteristics.”
The Englishman has admirers all around the country for his hard-working and tireless style of play. “He has an energy and athleticism which the Manchester City squad as a whole lacks,” Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports. “If he goes, they’ll be losing quite a lot of things he brings to the team. He’s versatile, English and his running power, which is something that you would have to level at City – they lack that pace, certainly in midfield areas – it would be a big loss.”
Liverpool are rumoured to be front-runner in the race for a move for Milner. The player’s tactical flexibility is likely to be attractive to Brendan Rodgers who recently described his young German – Emre Can as “multi-functional” and emphasized on the lack of such players as an explanation for the team’s defeat at West Ham earlier this season when they failed to work the diamond formation. In an ideal scenario, Milner would appear ideally suited to the left-side of a diamond, mirroring the work of Jordan Henderson on the right. More importantly though, the 29-year-old is versatile enough to be equally effective in a number of positions so Rodgers would not need to be too invested into any one system. Whatever the manager’s plan, he could count on rather more energy than Liverpool have shown this season in Henderson – Can – Milner.
As things stand; James Milner doesn’t seem flashy enough for Manchester City. He isn’t technically gifted like a David Silva or powerful and imposing as a Yaya Toure. He is, however, industrious, a grafter, a James of all trades but master of none and most importantly deserving of a lot more game time than he is currently afforded. He runs around a bit, he puts in a few decent tackles and will play anywhere, but he’s simply a steady hand – a player who will get 7/10 every game. Perhaps just the kind of player Rodgers’ requires around the likes of Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge etc.