If one could purchase stock in footballers, I'd be investing heavily in this lad. If he stays healthy and is given time I really think we'll have one hell of a footballer on our hands. The athleticism and industry of Can and Henderson could run teams into the ground.
Not good on systems. Perhaps a possible Gerrard-less midfield has a 2-1 shape? Not two deep-lying ones, but two tactically astute, defensively adept midfielders capable of doing a job in either half? Attacking midfielder like Sterling, Coutinho or Lallana playing ahead of them. I suppose a less offensive formation could even be Can, Hendo and Allen midfield, one with the defensive responsibility, but all capable of switching it up and bringing the ball forward with another covering.
I think I'm basically agreeing with PoP actually. Probably not very well like.
A decent way of looking at it for me is to compare it to the two sides in the WC Final. I
think what we're aiming to move towards is a midfield more in the mold of what Germany planned on playing with Schweinsteiger, Khedira, and Kroos. Three players who are all technically proficient, mobile, and tactically aware, but none beholden to a single defensive role. Compare that to Argentina whose midfield very much revolved around that one defensive role performed by Mascherano. When I look at our squad I think we have a number of young players who could all fit quite nicely into the former setup (Henderson, Can, Allen, Lallana amongst the senior side; the likes of Rossiter, Brannagan, Lussey, and Phillips on the way up). Lucas is probably the only player at the club over the age of 16 who you'd consider an out and out defensive midfielder in the Argentine mold.