To all of you not keen on Jake take a read
West Brom's £10m capture of Jake Livermore has already been laughed off, but it's a better signing than you might think...
Jake Livermore is the newest face in the West Bromwich Albion squad after a £10million transfer from Hull City but before the new Albion signing has even kicked a ball, social media has berated the Baggies signing, but the Hawthorns faithful need not listen to the negativity surrounding the ex-Spurs midfielder as he’s a perfect fit at the Albion and here’s why…
Risk-free investment
£10 million is no longer a significant sum of money in modern football, especially considering the transfer chest the new West Brom owner Guochan Lai has offered to the Albion. The club are still living under their reputation as a conservative and stringy operator in the transfer market because of the previous Chairman Jeremy Peace and his shrewd spending style, yet surely this signing provides evidence that West Brom are willing to spend in order to achieve a top half finish.
I must admit, I heard less commotion over the reported £15 million transfer of unproven Nigerian defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi to Leicester, than I have about Jake Livermore’s signing. If anything £10 million for a player considered a pivotal figure for a rival Premier League club fighting relegation, in a position which desperately needs strengthening at your own club seems a very fair price indeed. Frankly, you would be hard pushed to find a player that is more suitable for West Bromwich Albion than Jake Livermore.
A perfect ‘Pulis player’
When I hear the phrase ‘Pulis player’ my mind drifts to players such as Robert Huth, Scott Dann and Peter Crouch – tall players with aerial prowess who will aggressively attack a set-piece and nod it home from six yards. Standing at 5â€11, Livermore doesn’t exactly fit the bill in that regard. But if you strip back the Pulis preconceptions, he is everything his manager could ask for.
This season Pulis has carefully implemented a counter attacking approach for the Baggies, he expects tenacity, energy and commitment from his squad and I’m sure if you asked any Hull City fan and they would tell you that Livermore has all these attributes in abundance.
The few occasions I have seen Livermore this year, he has sat deep as a holding midfielder looking to break up play whilst also offering incisive late runs in the final third, exactly the kind of player Pulis loves to work with. The natural box-to-box style to Livermore’s game ensures that West Brom fans can get used to watching another tireless midfielder in an Albion jersey this year.
Versatility
But there’s more to the once-capped England international than just work rate, in fact, he currently holds a remarkable accolade. He is 20th on the Premier League passing charts this term, which places him above household playmakers such as Juan Mata, Adam Lallana and Dele Alli.
Evidently, he has a sound technical side to his game even if the passes are short and simple. This statistic showcases Livermore’s composure on the ball in the middle of park, a gift for Pulis whose side have been liable to giving the ball away cheaply in midfield which is disastrous in a counter attack system. It seems the new signing may have a larger bearing on the success of their tactic than initially suspected.
The versatility of Livermore adds an extra string to his bow which will no doubt get the heels of Pulis’ trademark sneakers kicking. At the beginning of the campaign Livermore filled in at centre half for Mike Phelan’s threadbare Hull City side and the 27-year old impressed many with his ability to read the game. He kept a clean sheet in only his second game starting at centre back in August and Hull have not restricted their opponents from scoring in the league since.
Now, I expect the new Albion no.8 to play in midfield as competition for Claudio Yacob and Darren Fletcher considering Craig Gardner departed the club to return to his boyhood club Birmingham City. However, the fact that he has top flight experience in central midfield, holding midfield and as a centre back provides an extra option for Pulis in what is a shallow squad.
A good signing
Jake Livermore is a very smart signing for the West Midlands outfit, yes, he’s not Morgan Schneiderlin, nor are they paying a premium fee for a player of Schneiderlin’s ilk. £10 million is not a financial risk and even if it was Livermore is a safe bet. He has overcome extremely difficult personal circumstances involving drugs and family loss and I am sure if he can fight through that, he can shrug off talk of a slightly inflated price tag.
He is a mentally resilient player who has notched up 128 Premier League appearances as he enters his physical prime. His work rate, athleticism and defensive capabilities will stand him in good stead at West Brom if he can produce the technical side of his game that he showcased at Hull. His addition to the squad at Albion makes them look a lot stronger as a midfield unit for years to come. Mentally tough, physically impressive and technically proficient; West Brom look to have secured themselves a really useful player.
