Adam Lallana
But that did stop him offering a highly critical appraisal of his own efforts against Everton. Lallana is delighted to have started five successive matches but felt he could have done more to help make a breakthrough against the Toffees.
Asked whether Albion deserved to win,
Adam Lallana said: “Possibly, when you look at the stats of the game or whatever. But I felt decision-making in the final third was poor, myself included. I just couldn’t make the right decision. Whether we had a little bit too much time to think? I’m not sure what it is but that’s what we need to keep improving, keep working on and turn those points into three points, especially at home. But a point is not a bad result in the scheme of things. We have had a couple of home games lately where we have conceded late and been really disappointed. The clean sheet is a positive but we want to be turning those games into three points. I think we have got the quality to do so. It’s just about trying to keep progressing and finding the goals.”
Are Albion getting close to fulfilling potential, he was asked.
Adam Lallana said: “I do, but not close enough. We need to demand more of each other. Personally, there were probably five or six situations in the final third where I hesitated. I made the wrong decision at the time and we have just got to keep working to make those right decisions. Keep practising in training and it will come, I’m convinced it will. We have got a lot of new players here and we are still gelling but I feel we are on the right road to keep improving and we will just keep working.”
In terms of Premier League action, Lallana has played more minutes in the last five games than he did in all of last season. He has more minutes in this campaign than in the previous three put together.
Adam Lallana said: “I’m really enjoying my football at the moment. Probably the most I have in years and that’s nice, that’s great. I’m playing football with a smile on my face, enjoying it and just want to get wins – desperate to win football matches. I am used to winning football matches the last five or six years of my career and I want to keep doing that. But it’s all part of the fun. I’m enjoying the competition, the physical nature of the games. Of course we want to have the fans back but I’m enjoying my football and loving being part of this great football club. In my last two or three years I have not played regular football. To stay at a consistent level of fitness, I feel I am playing at a high level and I am looking forward to keeping improving under a great manager and a great group of lads. It is obviously a different challenge to what I faced in the past few years but I am enjoying it just as much. I am still looking to improve and want to better myself for the team so we can turn those points into three points. But of course it is great to be playing regularly. I feel I’ve found myself again and its great to be part of this fantastic football club.”
Lallana has a senior role to play as Albion look to progress. They have reached 31 games on 33 points, the same as last year. Lallana is unwilling to get involved in comparisons with previous seasons.
Adam Lallana said: “There is still room for improvement. We are never going to be happy standing still. We always want to look above us rather than behind us in the table. That’s the project we are on at the moment. It might take weeks, months. It is more of a long-term goal for us but we need to keep demanding high standards. Then those points will turn into victories. We had a good result against Newcastle when more right decisions were made. (On Monday) not so many good decisions in the final third – over-thinking and it’s small margins but massive margins. In a couple of games we have conceded in the last minute so it was good to get the clean sheet and another point in the right direction. But the lads are disappointed just getting the one and that is a good sign. We are playing well enough, we have got confidence we are not feeling that pressure. We feel we are playing well and we need to keep in and around this level and we will pick up points. We have got Chelsea and that’s going to be a great test for us to see where we are at. Tuchel has come in and they are playing tremendous football. But I feel we can go there and give it a right good go.”
