As I woke up one weekday morning, and began my daily scroll down of the latest news coming out of Melwood, I happened across an interview conducted by Mondo, with none other than Lazar Markovic being the man under the spotlight. Intrigued, I had a personal look at it, and I was left quite pleased with the outcome of this short interview. The Serb seems to have admitted to having a lacklustre start with the Anfield club, showing signs of empathy throughout, as any talk of the Serb being of the 'selfish' and 'self-centred' nature upon arrival seeming to fly away with the wind.
"I feel great there and everybody has been great with me. I could not wish for more."
Now, if that is part of his 'selfish' persona, then I cannot wait what Markovic is like on a good day. However, that, on top of his ongoing praise for our captain fantastic Stevie G, has gotten me in deep admiration and eagerness to see what more the winger can bring to the table, football wise.
With that being said, the 20 year old has had quite the torrid start at his new club, sparking growing fears within the reds' fan-base that the 20 million pound youngster is not quite suited for the 'week-in, week-out' hustle and bustle of the Premier League. I, personally have to concur with these fears. Markovic seems to disappear during large parts of games he has played thus far, and when he does get a quick glimpse of the ball, he has the tendency of rushing, with the end product producing a loose pass or wide shot. Has the pressure of signing for a club the size of Liverpool, for such a hefty price gotten to the Serb's head already? Or will we witness a whole new player when the Premier League commences on the 19th of this month? In this blog I will look at both possible outcomes. However, let us kick off with a fact file of the player ;
- Name: Lazar Markovic
- DOB: 2nd March 1994 (20 years old)
- Position: Winger/Forward
- Nationality: Serbian
- Squad Number: #50
- Previous Team/s: Partizan (Serbia), Benfica (Portugal)
Now, apart from the glorious honour of sharing the same birthday with myself, Markovic has incredibly managed to win a title in every season he has undergone as a professional, a feat that is the hardest of tasks for any footballer (and a near impossibility to follow through once again this season). I will leave my ramblings regarding the reds' start to the season for another blog, let us focus on Markovic for now.
The kid has confidence in abundance !
Leaving to one side his re-occurring 'ghost' patches throughout matches of late, us reds fans can be heartened by the fact that when the Serb does get the ball in his feet, he can do wonders with it. We have not exactly seen the end product of the 20 year old yet, however, if he does push that little bit extra and get more involved in proceedings, Brendan and his team may have unearthed a real gem in the Serbian international. Confidence is a must-have trait for any professional footballer, and when a youngster possesses it, it will be extremely difficult to take away. This fact alone gets me, amongst many reds fans, in high hopes and in eager anticipation of what the future holds regarding the winger.
Competition For Places
A transfer window which most reds fans were calling an ultimate success a few months ago, are now pondering whether to call it an ultimate mess instead. Rodgers spent a whopping 100 + million pounds on new recruits last summer, and let us face it, a couple of them are yet to live up to the hype surrounding them upon arrival. (Markovic included). With that being said, competition for places in and around Liverpool's first team set up have definitely intensified as the season has progressed, and this is where Markovic may find it an uphill task to showcase his highly regarded and thought of potential within the squad. Obviously, competition for places is always healthy for any club, and the 20 year old himself must have it in his mind that if he works his socks of in training and when given to opportunity in the Premier League or Champions League, that he will eventually find his way through and cement a place in that highly contested starting line up. As we have witnessed with a couple of our previous big money signings (most notably Stewart Downing & Andy Carroll), it is not always an easy task, and this is were I have to be slightly critical in questioning the signing of an 'unproven talent' for such a high price.
Is the hefty price tag too heavy a burden to carry?
Brendan Rodgers showed tons of faith in the Serb when the offer of 20 million pounds arrived at Benfica's doorstep one hot summers' day. Chelsea were amongst some of the big guns interested in the youngster, however the lure of playing for a club like Liverpool FC, under the guidance of one of the greatest man-managers in the game right now in Brendan Rodgers seemed too big an opportunity to miss. Yes, I do believe that Markovic is a massive young prospect, yet that is all he is for now, and I still question the hefty sum of money which was forked out for him. Let us not forget that Markovic is still only 20 years old. Just imagine the scenario, in which one moves to a five times Champions League winning team, who just missed out on top spot the season that past and who have paid ridiculous amounts of money because they think you could be the one to score 20 + goals and drive this massive club towards Premier League glory. All this at the mere age of 20. Yes, that tends to bring nerves throughout at first.
The Serb's lacklustre start would not have aided in any relieving of pressure, however, here is where confidence enters the fray. Young Markovic has admitted to not quite finding his feet as yet, and is ready to make amends and kick start his Liverpool career. This is something that is essential for the strikers' progression under Rodgers. If nothing changes though, we might just be about to witness an Alberto Aquilani-like transfer in the making.
QPR Away is the perfect match for Lazar
If there ever is a football match to enter the fray and steal the limelight, then it comes in the shape of the reds' upcoming league match, which sees Brendan's men travel to Loftus Road to take on struggling QPR. Redknapp's men have endured an awful return to top flight football thus far, which sets the stage perfectly for a motivated Lazar Markovic to grab the bull by the horns and produce a stunning display in the capital. (Let us just hope to God that no injuries are sustained during the international break). Rio Ferdinand must be sick to the stomach right now with the sheer thought of how Liverpool could line up attacking wise. Players such as Sturridge, Balotelli, Raheem and Lazar himself provide us with a mouth-watering appetite and anticipation for the match. Three points is a definite must come Sunday the 19th, and if Markovic does get the nod by Brendan, he will look to make his point, and prove all doubters wrong. (Is a goal or two on top of that too much to ask)?
As I continuously ponder through the possibilities, both negative and positive, I am left satisfied with my overall view, and of what the future holds for the young Serb. As described by ex-Inter boss and current Udinese manager Andrea Stramaccioni as 'a player with exceptional qualities and impressive acceleration', I am ready to put my head on the line here and state my personal view : Lazar Markovic will, no doubt, be a very important player for Liverpool for years to come. We have seen quick glimpses of it thus far, however I am positive the Serb's game will improve thoroughly. If I had five seconds to give any Markovic any personal advice, I would tell him but one thing : 'Forget the price tag and play with the heart. Remember lad, you are playing for Liverpool Football Club, that should provide enough motivation.' (Now, if I write that in a tweet and send it I doubt he will even read it, but you get where I am going with this).
One thing is certain, Liverpool as a whole need to improve, rapidly and at a fast pace, if they are to retain their place in next seasons' Champions League. That, topped of with a trophy to show for will be considered a successful season for Rodgers and his men, and there is no doubt Lazar Markovic will be on the forefront in whether Liverpool do reach these said goals. I would want nothing more than for the Serb to prove to be a success story at Anfield, and as I conclude this blog, I leave you with a video of Benfica's Lazar Markovic, and what exactly prompted Rodgers into forking out 20 million pounds on the wonder kid.
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YNWA
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