|
|
Right to a degree but it was more that he wanted to play. He wasn't getting nearly enough of the big games.
“I had a lot of conversations with the hierarchy at City and they never said a bad word about me. It was just their opinions on where I fitted in. They saw me as a big part of the club. However, when it came to getting to finals, and things like that, the default was for me not to play.
“That was the way it is and I want to play as much as I can and look back on my career.
“I could have easily stayed at City and been there another four or five years, being around the club, helping us win things. But over the next few years I wouldn’t have played as much and my game time would have reduced.”
James Milner..
He was always a very solid and dependable player to be fair, but Klopp has made him so much more. At times over the last few seasons he has been the one of the cornerstones of our success.
As we have all seen over the last 3/4 years... IF you want to play in a Klopp team you have to do 2 things ... 1 - work harder than you ever have before...
and 2 - consistently strive to improve...
Last edited by Steveo; 27th September 2019 at 11:29 AM.
That is a good point about playing in finals.
I just don't think he's hugely improved since coming here. I can't see it. He's been the very professional, very good player he's been for the majority of his career, as you say.
What aspects do you think have improved dramatically?
Etiam si omnes, ego non
I can only judge from when he arrived at Anfield - and his game was fairly ordinary in all departments. I saw plenty of wayward passing and a lack of quality on the ball. He would try to make runs but often concede possession.
His approach has become more pragmatic. Perhaps he has focussed on his core strengths. Physically strong, stamina to burn and coupled to his powerful, accurate shot...he has often been the key ingredient in results that could easily have gone against us.. That level of leadership is perhaps the most noticeable area of improvement.
Just watch him play in 2017/18 and compare to 2015.. He is 33 remember 34 in January.. so his game should really have been on the wane - yet the opposite is true.
“Millie is like wine, I like this idea as well. A very good red one. I’m not sure if Leeds is famous for wine? He’s getting better. I think Millie should buy all of the newspapers and read this.
Jurgen Klopp . Sunday 4 November 2018
Last edited by Steveo; 27th September 2019 at 12:02 PM.
I don't see it that way - he was always good at keeping possession, a calming influence in the middle of the park.
The lack of quality on the ball is a complete mystery to me - his crossing has always been excellent and his ability to get past a man… well he's the stereotypical English player, so he's not going to be great at that.
And again, I don't dispute he's been important for us, just the idea that he's become important for us of late or that he's somehow become a much better player at the age of 32. He came in and started playing plenty of games and influencing them greatly from day one.
Klopp's comments are great to hear, but that was a year ago, when Millie might have been going through a patch of great form for example.
Etiam si omnes, ego non
Fair points. I would agree it’s not like he was bog standard on arrival and is now a world beater.. But I always thought of him as an average Joe in 2015 - I would never have put those words anywhere near him in the last 2/3 years.. But might just be a overall improvement in the team that has painted that picture in my mind.
Could be, yeah. No doubt you look better when playing for a better side (usually). No denying he's been instrumental in that improvement though and an excellent piece of business. Very shrewd acquisition.
Etiam si omnes, ego non
Bookmarks