The vice-captain with no place at Liverpool
It all started with a promise. A promise of more opportunities in more favoured positions, to be exact. Despite finishing sixth in the Premier League last season, Liverpool had managed to persuade James Milner to help herald a new era at Anfield. This was a player Manchester City fought to keep, a two-time league winner wasted on the wing at the Etihad. A move to Anfield would provide Milner the platform to shine.
That was the promise, both to the player and the fans. The narrative surrounding Milner was that he was a central midfielder by trade, but happy to fill in where needed. Liverpool could grant him the opportunity to prove his worth. Indeed, playing centrally was Milner’s main persuasion upon leaving City. “I want to play football and play more centrally if I can – and that’s where the manager said he sees me playing,” the midfielder said back in August. After years of playing the utility man under Manuel Pellegrini, Milner would step out from the shadows and help replace the outgoing Steven Gerrard.
It was a signing greeted with mass approval from Liverpool, from City, even from neutrals. This was as exciting as a free transfer involving James Milner could possibly be. And it started positively. The vice-captain started centrally in victories over Stoke and Bournemouth, as well as the draw against Arsenal. A successful August.
September was not quite as impressive. Defeat to Manchester United was followed by a draw with Norwich, while Milner scored his first goal in Liverpool red in the victory over Aston Villa. It remains his finest game to date by far.
Excitement and intrigue slowly turned to a smattering of complaints, which led to more latent criticism, eventually manifesting itself in outright questioning over Milner’s place. The Englishman played every minute of Liverpool’s first 10 Premier League games this season, a sequence in which he scored once, assisted thrice, and was booked five times. He has completed the full 90 minutes in just four of the following nine fixtures, albeit with injury playing its part.
Soon after that disappointing September, Rodgers was sacked. The Northern Irishman was Milner’s closest ally, signing him in an attempt to replicate Gerrard’s experience in midfield. Considering the former captain’s regression during his final season, Milner was even seen as an upgrade. He certainly offered more mobility than the America-bound midfielder, and had a point to prove.
Then Jurgen Klopp happened. He was once the energetic, tireless workhorse, central both literally and figuratively to the previous manager’s tactics, the water carrier for more expressive players. It is an effective and unique party trick, and he became undroppable. But when a new manager arrives, demanding more running and more effort from each and every player, Milner’s strength is diluted. Does he offer considerably more experience or nous than Kolo Toure, Daniel Sturridge – fellow Premier League title winners – or Lucas Leiva? The Brazilian makes more tackles per game on average, 10 team-mates make more interceptions, four have more shots, five make more passes and 14 boast a better pass success rate. Goals have never been his forte, either.
Liverpool simply have more effective options throughout their squad. Back-to-back victories over Leicester and Sunderland prove as such, with Jordan Henderson and Emre Can forming a promising first-choice central midfield pairing. Lucas’s improvement under Klopp pushes Milner further down the pecking order centrally. From guaranteed starter and Gerrard’s replacement, to back-up’s back-up within five months. It’s difficult to see him recapturing the starting role he was once promised.
A calf complaints has sidelined Milner heading into the new year, with a comeback uncertain; he will not provide Klopp with a selection headache upon his return. The German could be the ideal manager for Milner, but only if he accepts the same fate that forced him to leave City. It’s bit-part utility player or nothing.
Milner was a small fish in a big pond at City. Despite all the promise, he is suffering the same fate at Liverpool.
Matt Stead