05 Jul 2015 01:03:57
Probably our best defensive performance since Brendan took over was vs Tottenham at the start of the season. It was Moreno Sakho Lovren Manquillo, 3 brand new players. First half was shaky to be honest and we got away with it. But the second half was just a joy to see for any fan who plays in defence. That line stayed together, CBs close to each other the whole time. Not a skrtel in sight.
To the less knowledgeable fans Skrtel is a good defender. During the game he throws himself about makes some slide tackles, all good for his personal highlight reels. But he throws himself at the ball so often, he just has a massive desire to get that ball he doesn't think at all. Going for headers he won't win, happened twice vs Dwight Gayle in two different visits to selhurst park. Most of his slide tackles he only has to make because he was out of position in the first place. How many times do you see John Terry throwing himself around like that, not often. Being a defender is about reading the game.
Brendan clearly thinks Skrtel is a world class defender because of his highlight reels, and that's why he picks him. Just proves how he doesn't have a clue about defending. Back to selhurst park, the 3-3. I distinctly remember Skrtel going for the ball he will never win, if he just stayed where he was he could have won the ball on the ground from Gayle or blocked a shot, or see him out. But instead he went for it and failed so Gayle scored. In the post match interview Brendan said "ah, the defence lost focus there, it's simple, if you lose focus you get dropped." Next game is vs Newcastle, Sakho dropped.
I'm not having a dig at less knowledgeable fans, you don't have to be tactically astute to enjoy the game and not even to have a valid opinion. I am not tactically astute myself but it's abundantly clear that Skrtel is not good.
05 Jul 2015 01:52:17
Lovren is up there with konchesky. He needs to go. We should start sakho and illori of sakho and wisdom
05 Jul 2015 03:34:32
Lovren is a very good defender who needs to be played in the same system he played in at Saints where a true DM (Wanyama)protecting him which then allows him to do his thing as in harry the opposition and press the striker he`s marking. In BR`s system, any CB will struggle because with Allen or SG at DM and with a woeful defender like Srtel next to any CB, it will be suicide as we all saw last season. Only when Lucas plays at DM do we win and keep a clean sheet. All in all, Skrtel is aweful and needs to be sold and the fact that BR thinks he`s that good after benchin him for a semi retired Jaime Carragher 2 yrs ago, shows you exactly why our defensive woes under him are "uncoachable"
05 Jul 2015 03:36:38
This season back 4 needs to be clyne lovren sakho moreno
05 Jul 2015 05:25:56
Lovren did well because of Fonte next too him, wanyama and schneiderlin in front and a gk that communicated. Our issue last year was we had moreno who isn't the best at defending, who also speaks a different language to sakho. Johnson who was lazy and never tracked backed causing issues. Skrtel who never communicated and was rash leaving gaps where noone covered. Lastly a manager who doesn't know how too coach a defense.
05 Jul 2015 05:45:25
Snabi
Your 100% right but we have to have Lucas playing as DM or it doesn't matter what defence we have out in all honestly
05 Jul 2015 06:14:51
I distinctly remember we rode our luck many times in that game.
Nowhere near our best defensive performance.
In the season we finished 2nd Skrtel & Sakho with Lucas and/or Allen in front produced some of our best defensive outcomes.
See from the defeat away at Hull up until Christmas when we blitzed teams.
05 Jul 2015 06:35:34
Boom could that not be down the fact we destroyed teams in the first half so the opposition had lost already thus not bothering to attack. Watching us i always see a mistake happening. i'd hope o driscoll could help the players decisiveness,especially skrtel if he stays.
05 Jul 2015 07:07:16
So lovern needs a DM to function, y not Skrtel needs a Chelsea or Rafa system to function then?
05 Jul 2015 11:14:45
It's amazing how many times people come back to the Spurs game, it shows how shockingly bad our season was when we all seem to revert back to one game.
Let's hope this season we can play really well in lots of games so we don't look so sad reliving one match every time.
05 Jul 2015 11:16:00
Did you read the post boom? I said we were shaky, we got away with a lot in the first half. But as my post says, it was the second half that was brilliant. Mainly, they all stayed in a line moving together, in such a way that had never been seen under Brendan rodgers. If Brendan knew how to defend, why would he change that defence after such a performance. I'm not saying Lovren should be exempt from criticism, but there is strong reason to actually try Sakho and Lovren again. Cannot be any worse than what it is now.
Well in 2013-14 there was no good performances of defence I cannot actually believe you have said that, even when we were blitzing teams se were conceeding 2 or 3.