Compared to what we’ve had to endure for the last few years, I’d say he’s pretty perfect, the art of a good player is to make it look easy.
Sometimes you’ve needed to play at a decent level to grasp how good a player is, it’s what he does when he hasn’t got the ball that impresses me so much, he organises the players around him constantly talking and gesturing to them, he fills the spaces so well he’s looking to make sure if the opposition win possession there’s no big holes for them to play into, he doesn’t stop trying to be one step a head of them.
I would say to Mark or anyone who doesn’t feel he’s on it to watch him for 15-20 minutes regardless of the ball position, and you will see how he looks after his area of the pitch it’s a lesson in no how, for me it’s an art and he’s an artist.
And when he has the ball he’s not to shabby he can shield it, he can turn with it, he can run with it, and his passing long and short is crisp and accurate, and he can do what most people believe was the only thing that went missing in our team tackle and intercept just as well as anyone who’s played for us, but because he does everything so well above, that goes pretty much unnoticed, which I’ve always said winning the ball is just a part of what makes a good player more importantly it’s what you do with it and what effect you have on the game without it.
For me he has everything in his arsenal you require to be a very good player, and he will prove to be our best player this season for consistency and quality when quietly going about his business, Ancelotti knows his stuff and Allan was top of his list and for me it’s easy to see why.