{"id":71213,"date":"2025-05-03T13:09:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T13:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/71213\/"},"modified":"2025-05-03T13:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T13:09:25","slug":"liverpool-urged-to-sign-brilliant-aston-villa-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/71213\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool Urged to Sign ‘Brilliant’ Aston Villa Star"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Join<\/a><\/p>\n

In the latest episode of Transfer Market Metrics on Anfield Index, host Dave Davis is joined by Dr Phil Barter to dissect the credentials of Morgan Rogers, the Aston Villa attacker frequently linked with Liverpool. Barter sets the tone: \u201cThe thing with Rogers is, and I think this is why for me it\u2019s so uniquely hard to profile\u2026 he\u2019s played attacking midfielder, wide left, wide right and even as a false nine.\u201d<\/p>\n

This theme of versatility runs deep through the episode. Rogers, who has clocked over 4,000 minutes and started 50 games this season, is praised for his adaptability, which Davis suggests is \u201ca massive selling point.\u201d But Dr Barter flags a subtle downside: \u201cIt almost counts against him a little bit in the metrics\u2026 because for you to get an FBRef profile in a different position, you have to play that amount of minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Statistical Showdown: Rogers vs Liverpool\u2019s Current Options<\/p>\n

Using FBRef data and percentile charts, Barter compares Rogers directly to Liverpool\u2019s own Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis D\u00edaz. Statistically, Szoboszlai \u201coutperforms them all\u201d in defensive categories\u2014\u201caerials, tackles, interceptions, blocks, and clearances,\u201d whereas Rogers comes out weaker. In passing metrics, the gap widens significantly: \u201cThere\u2019s almost four bands of a wagon wheel between Dom\u2019s volume and Morgan\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

When comparing to D\u00edaz, the conversation turns. \u201cDefensively, Morgan does actually outperform D\u00edaz for clearances and for blocks,\u201d Barter notes. And then the surprising stat: \u201cRoger\u2019s got more assists\u2026 and he\u2019s got more expected assists than D\u00edaz.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, in attacking metrics such as pass completion and goal output, D\u00edaz leads. Rogers is described as \u201cin pretty much just over the first ring\u201d of percentile compared to D\u00edaz\u2019s \u201couter ring.\u201d Despite this, Davis believes in Rogers\u2019 upside: \u201cI really think he could be an absolute force for us on that left-hand side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strength, Physicality and the Eye Test<\/p>\n

Barter is emphatic about Rogers\u2019 physical capabilities. \u201cHe\u2019s a physical monster\u2026 that acceleration, that power away, that push off from players.\u201d He likens Rogers\u2019 traits to those of a \u201cman-style\u201d player, indicating he passes the so-called eye test with flying colours.<\/p>\n

On raw output, the stats are hard to ignore: \u201c14 goals and 13 assists in all competitions,\u201d said Davis, adding, \u201cThat FBRef [profile] doesn\u2019t look too impressive, but all that will come into the analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: IMAGO
\nFit for Liverpool?<\/p>\n

Both Davis and Barter express enthusiasm\u2014albeit cautious\u2014for Rogers joining Liverpool. Dr Barter concludes: \u201cHe is a good player\u2026 he\u2019s become a pretty key player for Villa.\u201d Davis, more exuberant, declares, \u201cI would be ecstatic if Morgan Rogers came to Liverpool.\u201d<\/p>\n

But both are pragmatic too. Davis notes, \u201cTaking 444 is not bad for goals and assists,\u201d but adds, \u201cI think we also need to make sure we\u2019re improving the first eleven in some areas.\u201d Ultimately, it\u2019s about context\u2014versatility, age (22), left-footedness, and experience in both Premier League and Champions League come together to make Rogers a tempting proposition.<\/p>\n

Rogers could function as a utility player in Arne Slot\u2019s newly-crowned Premier League champions, or perhaps more than that if properly embedded in the system. Barter summarises it best: \u201cYou\u2019ve got to get him in and find where to play him and where he fits in your system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Join<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the latest episode of Transfer Market Metrics on Anfield Index, host Dave Davis is joined by Dr…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":71214,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[1648,1121,102,748,9814,22688,35653,393,35654,1123,35655,9815,35656,4884,35657,179,763,33704,9817,8902,9164,35658,101,35659,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-71213","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-anfield-index","9":"tag-arne-slot","10":"tag-aston-villa","11":"tag-britain","12":"tag-dave-davis","13":"tag-dominik-szoboszlai","14":"tag-dr-phil-barter","15":"tag-england","16":"tag-fbref-stats","17":"tag-featured","18":"tag-football-data","19":"tag-football-podcast","20":"tag-football-scouting","21":"tag-great-britain","22":"tag-left-footed-attacker","23":"tag-liverpool","24":"tag-liverpool-fc","25":"tag-liverpool-tactics","26":"tag-liverpool-transfers","27":"tag-luis-diaz","28":"tag-morgan-rogers","29":"tag-player-analysis","30":"tag-premier-league","31":"tag-transfer-market-metrics","32":"tag-uk","33":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114444066115129883","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}