Liverpool face Stoke in their first game after the Christmas period and there will be one old boy, well another old boy, returning to face the Reds at Anfield. While Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam have joined the Potters a while back, Joe Allen made the switch to Mark Hughes’ side in the summer.

The Welshman had a great Euro 2016 tournament but was deemed surplus to requirements by Jurgen Klopp. Allen, though, has had a great season so far for the Britannia-based side and has already scored five goals and provided a couple of assists this term.

Speaking ahead (via Metro) of the clash at Anfield, the German manager was a little upset at having let go of the 26-year-old Allen and stated that the midfielder always made a big impact for the side.

“Do we miss Joe Allen? Yes. He is a nice guy, having a big impact.”

The German also was pleased that the Welshman has found his feet at his new club but did bemoan the fact that not everything can go their way.

“We are happy he scores these goals but couldn’t have everything.”

Old boys looking to make an impact

Stoke have been on a bit of a tear recently and are in great form at the moment. Liverpool will have to be careful when dealing with the likes of Allen and even Adam and Crouch could prove to be difficult to play against.

The Reds have been on a great run since the start of the season and sit in second place. They are just six points behind Chelsea but have a couple of home games in the festive season. Their last match was a 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison, courtesy of a late goal from Sadio Mane.

Many pundits have been raving about the Liverpool attack this season but credit must also be given to the midfield. Jordan Henderson, Emre Can, Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum have all played great so far and it would have been tough for Allen to break into the side based on the performances of these players.

The Reds didn’t even have European football to worry about and thus Klopp might have wanted to let go of players that he did not feel would fit the system. Wijnaldum has done pretty well since coming in and can be seen in the Joe Allen kind of role where he normally moves the ball around and runs to join the attack.

While the fans will give a warm reception to the former Liverpool contingent that comes to play for Stoke, they will hope that the away side have an off day and the Reds pick up three easy points. This is one of the best chances the Reds will have of returning to the top four and if they continue maintaining their playing standards from the start of the season, Stoke will be in for a battering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZFvIs_6nVA