Having proven himself to be a top-class performer at League One level prior to his arrival at Coventry City last summer, Jamie Allen was an ambitious piece of transfer business. However, a niggling injury that kept Allen out of most of the first half of last season meant that he began his Coventry City career under little pressure and is perhaps why his calibre as a player is still a little underrated. In just 11 league appearances last year – and just seven starts – Allen scored or assisted at a rate just under one every other game, which is almost exactly the same rate as Matt Godden.
Allen’s most notable attribute as a midfielder is the amount of ground he can cover. A little dynamo, Allen doesn’t charge around the pitch like a headless chicken, instead, almost always ensuring his efforts are concentrated towards where they can make the maximum impact. Playing in one of the advanced midfield roles in our 3-6-1 system last year, Allen was provided that freedom to use his work-rate in a destructive manner, driving into areas that unsettled the opposition and opened up space for himself and others. While Allen’s use of ball in the final third could maybe do with improving – that is, despite that impressive return of goals and assists – it is perhaps explainable due to him not having had the time other players have had to get used to one another.
We only got a taste last season of what Jamie Allen could do in a Coventry City shirt. Even if he’s not making an impact in terms of creating or scoring goals, Jamie Allen is a player that will be important in facilitating others in doing so. Every team could do with a player willing to put in the sheer effort that Jamie Allen puts in to every performance.
Sideways Sammy 