He Tore A Hamstring Dot Mee Dot UK

The Lad Can Play – Chris Mavinga

Despite Gerard Houllier stocking so many of them, Liverpool haven’t really had much luck with French players irrespective of whether they were club record buys (Djibril Cisse) or players brought in with an eye for the future (too many to mention).

Whisper it, however, but that might be changing.

Already there is David N’Gog who, for all his detractors, remains a highly promising prospect that is maturing and improving with every game. That he is playing so regularly not only means that there is greater pressure on him but also that his every mistake is likely to be magnified. This has led to many forming a negative opinion of him yet the talent is there and, allied with his determination and willingness to work hard, he is destined to become a very good player.

The same applies to Chris Mavinga. Brought in during the summer from Paris St. Germain – who must be sick of Liverpool seeing that it was the same club from whom N’Gog had been bought twelve months earlier – the initial reports were that he was ready to slot into the first team squad.

That particular prediction has proven to be incorrect but that does not mean that the accounts that had him as a very good prospect were similarly wide of the mark.

This despite him not playing in what was supposed to be his natural position, that of left back, but rather in the centre of defence. Not that the change in position has fazed him: if anything he indicated that this might actually be his best spot particularly given that his physical presence and pace mark him out as someone with a natural talent for this role. That he’s shown that he knows how to handle himself when the going gets rough cannot but be seen as a plus.

For all of the favourable impressions, the long term plan still seems to be that of having Mavinga on the left hand side of defence. It is where he has been playing since the turn of the year and where John McMahon has hinted that his future might lie.

Career wise, it would probably be better that way for him. Whilst there are four top class players ahead of him vying for the two spots at the heart of the defence – not to mention Benitez’s reluctance to play someone so young in that position – the lack of news about a contract renewal for Fabio Aurelio means that by the summer Emiliano Insua could end up as being the only other specialist left back at the club.

Realistically, however, it is unlikely that Benitez would allow that to happen. For one thing, Mavinga’s qualities are still largely unknown. So far he has withstood anything that has been thrown at him but, at reserve level, that isn’t much. There can be no comparison between playing against strikers fresh out of the academy to trying to handle the quality of those who play in the Premiership.

Regardless of everything Mavinga remains someone who has done extremely well in the handful of months that he has been at the club. Equally that is a great starting point and offers him a great platform on which to build. Yet it is also a point that for many before has proven to be the end game due to their inability to progress any further.

Only if Mavinga manages to avoid doing that would he truly be on his way to making his mark at the club and erase the memory of all of his compatriots who failed to live up to their expectations.

Editor ~ Many thanks to Paul for contributing this post, we thoroughly look forward to his continued contributions on Random Musings. (Paul’s Website)