Strengths: Foules oftenWeaknesses: Commits foul often
A quick look at the “style of play” section on Emre Can’s WhoScored page tells you all you need to know about how he fared since leaving Liverpool.
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Best known at Anfield for his utterly unpleasant overhead kick against Watford, 18 months at Juventus seems to have lost the magic of a player who was compared to Steven Gerrard at the peak of his powers.
Do not compare me to the “living legend” Steven Gerrard, says Emre Can http://t.co/8LKUI9X4zN pic.twitter.com/4A48hr33DC
– Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) March 4, 2015
The version of Emre Can who went on the pitch for Dortmund against Manchester City for Wednesday night’s Champions League defeat was not a bad player, but he was ineffective. Through his own little mistake, recent years have seen Can stumble from one manager to another, never being able to deliver the kind of lively and energetic performances that saw him quickly win over Liverpool believers.
Back in the beginning of his Anfield career, he was deployed as a defender by Brendan Rodgers before Jurgen Klopp came in and singled him out for his technical ability.
Klopp’s first full season in Liverpool saw Can deliver the best football of his career so far, starring in a team that finished fourth and ended a long wait for Champions League football.
He probably complained about it to them with one of the best goals the Premier League has ever seen, threw himself at Lucas Leiva’s frivolous pass and joined a technically outrageous overhead kick.
Our last trip to Watford …
? ‘Presto Overture’ – Mozart ft. Emre Can … pic.twitter.com/A9pPUjGOZT
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 11 August 2017
Then he had it in his cupboard. He was physically impressive, but he was also a phenomenally talented gambler who could win games himself.
It looked like he had everything, but he was soon distracted by a transfer saga that saw him leave Liverpool for free, just as the Reds began to establish themselves as one of the world’s best teams.
He made his last appearance for the club with a forgetful como in the Champions League final, when Real Madrid led 3-1 and crossed for the trophy. Can’s future was already sealed; he had signed a contract with Juventus and flew out to Italy to join his new teammates.
It really could not have been much worse for him. While Max Allegri was patient as Can struggled to adapt to Serie A, Maurizio Sarri was not.
The incoming manager made it clear that he did not have a place in his team for the Frankfurt – born midfielder. He was left out of the squad for their Champions League campaign and started only twice under Sarri before returning to the Bundesliga with Dortmund in January 2020.
And while he is presented regularly since he landed back in his fatherland, it is a stretch to say that things have gone smoothly.
By dividing his time between center-back, right-back and a loosely defined holding midfield role, he has not managed to produce a clear role for himself under either Lucien Favre or Edin Terzic. When Marco Rose arrives in the summer, Can must start all over again and prove himself as a fifth manager in just over three years.
Can’s ability can not be denied, but his career has been marred by a lack of continuity. You could see it in his shaky, insecure performance against City, when Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne made his life a misery. He admitted the penalty that eventually sent City through and looked like a player who lacked any form of confidence.
No matter what the ever-changing rules are for decisions like this, it should definitely be a punishment just for how stupid Emre Can was trying to head a ball he could only have … kicked pic.twitter.com/Rhmd1REuUs
– FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 14, 2021
After three turbulent years, Can just needs to find some rhythm.
Whether it’s under Rose in Dortmund or elsewhere remains to be seen, but now 27, his undeniable talent runs the real risk of being wasted if he does not find it soon.
