09 Apr 2015 13:09:55
Ed001, what do you think about bringing Lovren back into the starting 11? Not just because players are injured but on a permanent basis with Sakho/ Skrtel?
{Ed001's Note - as a back 3? No thanks, go back to a four please. I would put Lovren in ahead of Skrtel though.}
09 Apr 2015 14:23:20
Same here. He and toure looked solid yesterday and that can only help his confidence. he`s a good player who just needs to be in the right state of confidence as well as in the right system like he was in Southampton. Skrtel is poor and capable of making good CB`s look poor.
09 Apr 2015 14:35:28
Sakho and lovren as the 2 centre backs for me.
09 Apr 2015 14:47:47
Good grief. Louvren was ghastly; could barely win a clean header. Really don't know what people see in him other than a multi-million pound sink. I love Ed001, really do, light in the fog and all that, but Skrtel plays defence. Louvren? Looks as useful as a hamster diving for seahorses in the central Pacific.
{Ed001's Note - why Skrtel? So he can sit too deep and drag the whole team back and play opposition strikers onside? So he can make rash challenges and expose his team mates? Or perhaps so he can get nowhere near winning a single header all game and just leave them for Sakho? Or maybe it is so he can not bother communicating with his partners, so they have no idea what he is doing at any moment, as his rashness could mean he suddenly charges forward to make a nonsense challenge out of the blue, instead of constantly dropping back? Skrtel needs to be sold. Lovren needs time to establish whether he can be good enough, though you seem to have written him off already, despite him having shown at other clubs he has got ability. I will take no notice of your view as that description of Lovren was just a terrible attempt at being funny with no basis in reality at all. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about.}
09 Apr 2015 15:34:39
Edd001 what's wworrying is Rodgers rates skittles high as does his potential replacement De boer.
09 Apr 2015 15:43:24
Seriously ED001 get nowehere near winning a single header all game? Skertl? drag the whole team back?
As I said before people here just set an opinion on a player and nothing will change them from it. Not even facts. I understand you and the other here cannot argue with the fact that between the two losses to ManU we had one of the best defensive record for that time in the PL so now the new argument is that he drags everyone back. Well what I remember from most of those wins is that he and Sacko were the only one left in our half, all the othr running forward. He shouldn't be sold and I am certain as I am certain about anything about next season that he will be in our starting 11.
{Ed001's Note - clearly you have no idea what I meant, so try watching a game and you will see how deep he drops all the time. As for the opinion, it is formed from watching him, how we have had to go to 5 at the back to make up for his deficiencies, rather than just getting rid of him and playing a decent defender. Now stop being so arrogant as to assume it is not facts, just because your opinion differs. Having a good defensive record is an idiot's answer to a defender being not good enough, as it is a team game, so it is down to all 11, not just him. Stoke had a good defensive record under Pulis, despite not having one defender good enough to get into a top 4 team, but don't let facts get in the way of your baseless opinions.....}
09 Apr 2015 16:02:10
I think skrtel is our best defender . He's just not vocal enough . I'd play skrtel and Lovern before toure n sahko . I think Lovern is a good cb . He was left exposed by rodgers in the 1st 4 months with the dreadful set up . No proper defensive midfielder in there to shield the back 4 .And this endless ticcy ticcy playing the ball out from the back is scandalous .
09 Apr 2015 16:23:50
Skirtle has been our best defender for most of the season. He has had more good games than Lovren and Sahko put together. Certain people on here have criticized him all season even when he has played out of his skin.It was no coincidence that we went on that run once he came back into the team
09 Apr 2015 16:39:30
"Stop being so arrogant as to assume it is not facts , just because your opinion differs" sorry eds but this quote is exactly what you do, lot of respect for the job and insight you give here but you often yourself a victim as passing off your own opinions as facts, time and time again I see your analysis of players and although I may disagree you bite people's heads off for doing so. Great example was when you were arguing with everyone saying that the whole of last season was a failure for not winning the league and from memory were too arrogant to concede other people's opinions. Keep up the good work,
{Ed001's Note - what on earth? What has arguing a point got to do with it? This is a guy telling us that we are wrong and that it is because I am biased against Skrtel that I am wrong. Nothing to do with having an opinion, it was his false accusation I was referring to. So your response is just a needless bitch over nothing and has no relevance. And that last bit was complete idiocy and makes no sense in any regard to this. It has nothing to do with anything, apart from showing up how much you failed to understand what I was saying.}
09 Apr 2015 17:22:11
Heres one for the Mrs to read Ed!! You will be getting a telling off tonight :P
09 Apr 2015 17:26:26
Why are there so many people with so many issues with the various Ed's views and 'attitudes' that continue to frequent this website? If you are so offended, why are you here? The thing that actually makes this sites better than your average forum is them
09 Apr 2015 17:37:26
Ed1 you obviously don't trust Skrtel and you make some good points, if I remember rightly when he first came he was a very very good player before he had the serious knee injury, I think it was away at City, did his injury change is game or as he always made the same mistakes? I know he as always been rash.
{Ed001's Note - I never saw a good player, I saw a player who had the same issues but was alongside Agger, who would work his game around him. He was always deep, but in those days we played a deep line, so it wasn't an issue, especially when alongside Carra, who also wanted a deep line to make up for his lack of pace. The problem is that he is alongside people who aren't making allowances, they aren't sure what he is doing, and so we look disorganise. It is as much about a lack of defensive coaching as it is him. If we had, for instance, George Graham in charge, he would be drilling the defence constantly, so that they would know where to be and how to communicate between each other.
The injury that most affected him, in my opinion, was when he had a clash of heads with Carragher, because before that he was excellent in the air. Since then he has never been as dominant. It was a long while after that before he stopped being tentative when the ball was in the air.
If you are going to play the Gerrard Houllier/Rafa Benitez deep defence and look to hit on the counter, then Skrtel will do ok. If you want to push up and deny the opposition space, well that is just alien to him. He is always looking to drop off, with no shout to tell his partner that he is doing so, which leaves space to either side of him. He would be a much better player if he would just fix that communication issue alone, as it would also help team mates deal with his rashness too. One shout as he charges out would give the midfield the split second extra warning to drop in, as they could just react instinctively to the shout. Right now they have to look, see him charging forward, wonder if he is going to stop and drop off in a second, wait a bit to see, then it is too late to drop in and cover.}
09 Apr 2015 20:14:11
Ed is right. i used to be like many on here and say he was a great defender and all until last season when Ed was stating the same thing he is stating now. then, i began to watch Skrtel more closely and I saw everything the Ed is saying now. He is poor, period. He seems to be our best defender because he makes tackles and wins headers. if that was the only requirement, I would be a good defender. he has no pace (hence dropping off0, no positional sense (hence the tackles), no sense of anticipation nor communication skills. The fact that we have to play a back FIVE just to babysit him says it all really. he is capable of making defenders around him or any defensive system (bar lying deep in defence) aweful. Sahko, lovren, Toure were quality defenders yet when any of them partner Skrtel in a back four, they are poor. A pairing needs communication, positioning and anticipation as well as chemistry with your partner like Henchoz and Hyppia for example. Skrteel lacks EVERY single one of these qualities. Watch closely with YOUR OWN eyes and form an opinion instead posting stats as if he plays defence ALL by himself and the rest of the other stuff.
09 Apr 2015 20:28:23
Both are not good enough. I prefer skrtel but he's clumsy as is lovren. I think we need a clear out of defenders
09 Apr 2015 20:24:56
As we are on the topic of defense, my opinion is a back four of Lovren, Sakho, Moreno and someone other than the poor right backs we have at the club. Even Moreno may not suit a back four as much. Ed001, Who would a realistic right back be for next season, as I don't think Wisdom, Manquillo or Flanagan have made the cut?
{Ed001's Note - Flanagan has just been injured, he showed last season he is good enough for the left or right back slot. With Wisdom as a very able back up. I don't see the need to buy anyone for that position, Can, Sterling and Henderson can all play there in an injury crisis. That is not a position I see any need to look to bring anyone in for.}
09 Apr 2015 21:29:45
Are you joking about Skrtel? Easily our best defender. You can point out flaws all you like, I'm sure you could find a load more with Sakho and Lovren. I would hate to imagine our 2015 form without him, He has positional errors, lapses of concentration from time to time, but there's no denying he's our most reliable Centre-half, saves us time and time again, making up for the mess often left by Sakho. I've no idea how you could want us to sell Skrtel over Sakho.
{Ed001's Note - I have no idea how you could rate Skrtel over anyone, he is our least reliable player. It is his mess that is being cleared up most often, not Sakho's.}
09 Apr 2015 22:27:39
Come off it ed skirtel has been pretty solid up till his ban.
{Ed001's Note - no he hasn't. that is why we had to shift to a back 3 in the first place.}
09 Apr 2015 22:32:30
How strange that so many people can have such huge differences of opinion on Skirtle, from 'Our Best Defender' to 'Our worst defender'.
It's amazing there can be such difference.
{Ed001's Note - I don't think he is the worst defender, just simply not good enough for us.}
09 Apr 2015 22:41:06
Come off it that wasnt the reason .BR likes to play with wing backs this is why he plays 3 at the back.
{Ed001's Note - no he doesn't, it was done so he could cover the defensive liabilities and put extra bodies in midfield. Nothing to do with wing backs. Perhaps you should speak to the coaches involved before spouting nonsense.}
09 Apr 2015 22:42:50
Thanks for the knowledgeable replies Ed001. Unlike some, I do appreciate your response when I ask a question!
{Ed001's Note - cheers mate. Though I did have to grit my teeth on my reply when you used the American spelling of defence! I don't know why things like that irk me, and the misspelling of colour ugh!!!! I nearly went off on a rant about Americanisms then. My missus would be on my case then.}
09 Apr 2015 23:06:10
We could always be really particular and say the French spelling of defense, in which the English defence derives from, but that would be.so picky😉
10 Apr 2015 00:25:47
When I post a reply and see red squiggly lines, I replace it with the first suggested word. Don't mention the rant to Ed002 though!
10 Apr 2015 06:59:34
Does your wife visit the site much then ed? Maybe ed002? Makes perfect sense!
10 Apr 2015 09:17:55
Regardless of how you feel about Americanisms, Ed001, it's obvious you realize that our defensemen have not been well organized when turning out in LFC colors, and our season is only alive due to clutch overtime victories, in one or two road games!
{Ed001's Note - arggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!}
10 Apr 2015 20:59:41
Rodgers has started using words like "serves the ball well".
He needs to stop that right now.
I went over to America to play and the manager told me to serve it into the penalty zone. (cross it in the box)
I just walked off the pitch!!
As for Skerts. He has improved but the dropping off thing is what is stopping him from being a really good centre back.
Communication is important but some of the best players ever to play the game were not the best talkers.
Talking helps but it is not vital if your decision making is spot on.
The best centre halves in my opinion recognize when they are the last line of defence and understand that it is their responsibility to step up and either stop the man, the ball or both. The best ones just take the ball.
On numerous occasions I have seen an opposition player run at Skerts from the half way line and seen him retreat and retreat sometimes into the box.
When an opposition player gets past Lucas then it is the job of the defenders to then step up and deal with that.
He does not do that.
Having slated him for 20 paragraphs, I have to say that he has improved since he got dropped by Rodgers in his first year as boss.
He still makes that 1 basic error though.