Milner More Crucial to Liverpool than Fans Will Accept

When discussing the qualities of James Milner it’s easy to tread a familiar path. It’s true that he is industrious. It’s also true that he isn’t the most elegant of players but his effectiveness has far outweighed any lack of flair throughout his career.

That is certainly proving to be the case at Liverpool, despite the fact that Reds fans have taken longer to accept Milner than he has been used to. At previous clubs he has emerged as a fan favourite, although it did take him some time to win over the Manchester City supporters.

Early on in his time at Anfield, however, Milner faced plenty of criticism from sections of the fans. Who, after all, would have Milner on their shirt ahead of Coutinho, Firmino or Sturridge? The England international is unfashionable. The throwback among a group of trendy, newer models that’s so different he is the man that has become crucial to ensuring variety to Liverpool’s play.

Liverpool fans can certainly be forgiven for falling head over heels for a box of tricks like Coutinho, but when you have players like that in your team and are constantly tipped to add more, balance is absolutely crucial. Milner is becoming used to being utilised as the stabiliser.

That, however, wasn’t always the case. Though he has been widely praised for his attitude both on and off the pitch ever since breaking into the Leeds team as a promising 16-year old, Milner played the role of primary creator during his time at Newcastle and Aston Villa in particular. 

In his final season with the Midlands outfit, Milner was the shining star despite playing in a side that boasted the likes of Stiliyan Petrov, Ashley Young, Stewart Downing, John Carew and a promising young striker by the name of Gabby Agbonlahor (oh how the not so mighty have fallen…). A 24-year old James Milner secured a WhoScored.com rating of 7.37 - the best in his career - scoring 7 goals and registering a team high of 12 assists.

While he received plenty of playing time following a move to Manchester City, he wasn’t often afforded extended runs in the side, and when he did play he was moved around to accommodate the team's big name stars. There’s a sense of that still being the case at Liverpool too, though Milner now seems more confident not only of his role in Klopp’s side, but his importance to it.

It is of course in part down the the fact that his fitness levels are superior to perhaps any of his teammates, but Milner has played the fourth most minutes of any Liverpool outfielder this season (3,427 in all competitions) where many felt he may eventually fall out of favour. The England international has repaid his manager’s faith with crucial contributions not only with regards to his ability to implement Klopp’s high pressing demands, but also with vital goals and assists. 

His two assists to put Liverpool firmly in the driving seat in the Merseyside derby in midweek took his league tally to 11 for the season. He’s on course to break his aforementioned record with Aston Villa then, and only behind Christian Eriksen (12) and Mesut Ozil (18) in England’s top-flight this time out.

The versatile midfielder is in top form just when critics were calling for him to be dropped from Roy Hodgson’s England squad. Indeed, Milner has earned the WhoScored.com man of the match award in each of his last four appearances, registering 7 assists in that time, including for three of Liverpool’s five goals in their recent Europa League double header with Borussia Dortmund.

Many will point to the fact that Milner takes set pieces as the reason behind his superb tally in terms of creating chances, but that has perhaps been his greatest weakness this season, and an understandable source of frustration for the fans. Of his 14 assists across the Premier League and Europa League, just two have come from dead ball situations. A corner kick success rate (excluding short corners) of 31.6% is modest to say the least, with Milner struggling to beat the first man all too often.

Instead it’s his ability to deliver a dangerous ball from open play that has best contributed to his assist return. Indeed, of the 75 players to attempt at least 50 crosses when excluding corners this season, only Mesut Ozil (34.9%), has a superior success rate to Milner (34.1%). Incidentally, it’s only the German (with 9) who has registered more assists from such situations too (Milner - 6).

His ability to create a yard of space despite never being blessed with great pace - though you wouldn’t have thought it watching Steven Pienaar’s tame attempts to track back with the Englishman on Wednesday night - is down to his intelligence and it’s been a trait of his game that has stood from a young age. When he was asked after the Merseyside derby about his recent creative streak, Milner stated it had always been a strength, before going on to admit that it has become a ‘quiet’ one.

People have forgotten Milner’s talent in all of his tirelessness. He remains under appreciated and he knows it. Nevertheless, there’s no questioning Milner’s contribution to the key successes of this Liverpool side. Across the league and Europa League it’s not Firmino, Coutinho or Benteke who have directly contributed to the most goals for the club, but an understated, underrated free transfer. With a combined total of 21 goals and assists this season, it won’t be a popular claim but James Milner must be considered among the most effective signings of last summer.

How do you feel Milner has performed in his debut season at Liverpool? Let us know in the comments below