Nathaniel Clyne’s season went very much the same way as the team as a whole. Terrific before New Year but found it tough going after that and just didn’t look anywhere near as effective when Sadio Mané wasn’t there.
Clyne is a full back whose biggest strength is defending, which is a rare commodity at top clubs these days. That’s not to say he doesn’t offer anything in attack, but he’s very streaky in that respect and more accomplished defending than he is attacking. He should be better than he is going forward though. I always feel like he doesn’t back himself enough and if he did he’d be much more of a threat.
In the closing months of the season he just seemed to be a momentum killer. So many times the ball would go out to him and the attack would grind to a complete halt, as he looked to pass it back or inside, rather than carry it down the line and commit the opposing full back. Often his first touch would automatically take him back towards his own goal, and that demonstrated his mindset to me.
In fairness, the loss of Mané had a bigger impact on Clyne than anybody else I’d say, as it put more emphasis on him to be the sole attacking outlet on the right and he’s just not capable of it. It’s bloody hard playing full back for Klopp as not only do you need to continually be up with the attack providing the width, you’re also expected to be back in position any time it breaks down. Clyne and James Milner were expected to be wingers as well as full backs all season, and that takes a toll, not just physically but also mentally.
Thankfully Clyne and Milner are two of the most durable, reliable players in the squad and neither missed much playing time. Clyne rarely gets injured and even when he does he often just plays through it anyway.
All things considered, Clyne did a solid job for us this season and although much of the frustration with him late in the year was valid, it’s hard not to have some sympathy for Clyne. We complain about full backs who want to go forward but can’t defend *cough* Moreno *cough* but we’re not happy with those who are dependable at the back end but lack a bit in the final third either. Very few can do both, and those who can are usually playing for more successful teams than us.
I do get the feeling there’s more to come from Clyne in an attacking sense and if he’s to retain his place there’ll need to be. We do see occasionally what he’s capable of but it just doesn’t happen often enough. He should benefit next year from not having to play every game and also from having Mané back in front of him. Increased competition for his place should also see him step up a level.
Best Moment:
Not too many memorable moments from him and I’m tempted to say nicking Wijnaldum’s phone during the lap of appreciation and posting “I’m the man!” on his Instagram, forcing an embarrassed Gini to apologise and explain that Clyne had stitched him up.
He did produce a brilliant run and cross to create a goal for Coutinho at Arsenal, and a peach of a ball in to set one up for Lallana at Middlesbrough, so let’s go with one of those.
Worst Moment:
I asked a few of the lads for suggestions on this and the first reply I got was"every time he crossed the half way line". In terms of specific moments, there was a sloppy pass at Burnley led to them going one up and we were unable to recover from it and eventually lost 2-0 after conceding one on the break.
He doesn't tend to make too many mistakes in general, which is why those he does make stand out.
Rating:
6.5 / 10. Steady, reliable, durable, but ultimately needs to be much more assertive when going forward if he is to continue to be an automatic selection.
The Future?
Might be rotated a lot more than he’s used to next season, but will still feature prominently. Will definitely be under more pressure from Trent Alexander-Arnold next season and could even face competition from Milner too (more on that tomorrow though). Nevertheless, Clyne’s dependability makes him useful to have around and with the increased fixture load next year he’ll continue to be an important player, particularly in the more difficult fixtures.
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