30 May 2015 08:26:38
I'm curious to know, why do so many people on here want Skirtle to leave? Ed001?

{Ed001's Note - even putting aside his poor positioning, with a tendency to drop off when he should be holding a line or charge out rashly with no warning, his weakness which leads to strong forwards bullying him, his lack of pace to make up for his errors, the reason I would get rid is because of his lack of communication. We are completely disorganised at the back when he plays because none of his team mates have a clue what he is doing. Unless you are going to play a deep defensive line with a protective shielding midfield in front of him, he is not a good defender. He drops off with no warning to team mates, who are busy tracking a player, so can't be spending the game looking to see what he is doing, so when the guy they are tracking runs into a position they expect to be offside, so they let him go, as they are coached to do, Skrtel is playing them onside and they are able to run into space. Team mates can't just assume he is dropping off, as he doesn't do it all the time, sometimes he suddenly charges out rashly, and then a player dropping off would be too far away from him to pick up the pieces. So we end up with a backline which dithers, not sure whether to push out, drop off and so they end up just doing nothing.}

1.) 30 May 2015
30 May 2015 08:52:38
Ed, has Skrtel signed a new deal yet ?is there one in the waiting or could this be one that we have to wait and see who is in charge? We all can remember his debut against Havant and Waterlooville, he was woeful and hasn't improved massively other than adapt to the English game in my opinion. We have so many who could be quality alternatives in the squad that may be better. Give them a shot instead of wasting an ability that at some point we thought was a worthwhile addition whether it be free or even costing 7 million.

{Ed001's Note - he has yet to sign it, but he has had one offered.}

2.) 30 May 2015
30 May 2015 09:08:30
Ed001 Great reply,But Ed can the manager not rectify his(Skrtel's) problems, coach him to maintain the line & also his positioning?

{Ed001's Note - I don't think it is possible to coach him now, he is set in his ways and clearly it is just the way he is. We have ended up just suiting the system to him for years.}

3.) 30 May 2015
30 May 2015 09:15:10
Why wait to sell him i don't understand. Sell whilst there's value in him. Like when we got offered big money for reina/agger then sold them for nothing.

4.) 30 May 2015
30 May 2015 11:03:07
Skrtl is unpredictable. The main thing with defence and the goalie is that all of them have to know what the others will do in given situations - any hesitation or uncertainty and the opposition will breakthrough and find themselves played on-side. Older supporters will remember Bruce Grabbit-lar, who was continually mocked in the press for coming of his line - but that's the point, the back four knew he would come of his line without even having to check and played around it hence it became an advantage to us.

5.) 30 May 2015
30 May 2015 15:54:41
Skrtel is capable of making ANY world class back four look aweful with his deficiencies that Ed just pointed out and if one looks closely during games, you'll see for yourself as I and many others have. If a defender needs to be babysat by his teammates, that defender is nothing but a hopeless passenger and needs to get gone, ASAP.

6.) 31 May 2015
30 May 2015 23:51:51
I have to disagree with ED . even at Sunday league football level any good coach can drill into a player about positional awareness. no matter how bad or good their potential or ability is, any top coach should be able to figure out how to get skrtle to be more aware. it's all about work work work. these guys are being payed a fortune. if he was working in an office and was just given a simple job of photocopying both sides of a worksheet and he kept forgetting about turn the page around I'm sure his manager wouldn't be long ripping into him and telling him concentrate more or you will get the door and look for work elsewhere . anyway that's my view

{Ed001's Note - and that is the point, he has had years being coached and not changed so should be shown the door. It is simply not true that any good coach can do that, a player has to listen and learn from them, he does not.}