24 Nov 2015 15:48:08
I can't help but like Skrtel. I know a lot of people on here disagree and he gets bashed nearly as much as Lucas sometimes but I think he epitomises what it means to have a premier league CB. He is big, strong, loyal, fearless and passionate about his club. His last ditch tackles and blocks are always getting us out of trouble. Even if it was him that caused it.
He isn't the best defender and he has lapses that cause us to concede, but he surely makes up for most of those being the only defender we have that scores?
He is getting on and should be reaching the pinnacle of his career but I think he has earned his place in the team and with the right defensive coaching he has looked a lot better recently. His place in the team might have been given too easily by Rogers but I would say he has made what he can of that opportunity.
With him and Sakho for the next few years I feel like we have finally found a working pair of CB's again.
24 Nov 2015 15:55:30
No sorry mate no time for sentimentality anymore. That is what has held this club back for so long. I have faith that klopp will replace anyone in the team who isn't peforming regardless of who they are. I like skrtel but he is not the best cb we have and he is getting on. What is best for the club is that skrtel is moved on and we have a better cb partner for sakho. You said it yourself he isn't the best defender so why not replace him with someone better? .
24 Nov 2015 16:02:41
Because we are not a club that can shell out millions on replacing players that aren't broken.
24 Nov 2015 16:19:47
From reading resourceful information on here from credible posters and Eds. I believe we have the replacement in our extended (loaned out) squad already. Illori (Aston Villa season loan) seems to be an ideal partner for Sakho. Under the leadership of Klopp and having the reliable Sakho next to him he should come through as a class defender.
{Ed002's Note - Ilori has never played for Liverpool and has only managed a handful of games in the past two years and three months - and all of those at clubs who are effectively at a lower level to the English Premier League. I remain astonished how many Liverpool supporters see him as the Messiah.}
24 Nov 2015 16:45:50
Couldn't agree more ed002. It is not just him for many people here any of our loanies even if they hardly play and any of our academy players are better than anyone who starts. a lot of illusions.
24 Nov 2015 17:23:09
Skrtel has held us back defensively for years and has been kept on no other premise other than sentimentality and the typical lack of understanding of football in england as he has conned people into thinking he was good.
While he always appeared to put all the effort in on the pitch while he was sliding round like a loon, did he?
Getting caught off guard in one the many defensive mistakes he makes every few games? i'd say that's a lack of
conecntration and effort.
And he's about 30 now, if he was so committed, shouldn't he have ironed out the blatant deficiencies in his game by now? Well he wasnt. Hardly the level of commitment you have from top players like suarez or ronaldo is it.
I can't deny he has been relatively very good under jurgen, definately improved, but i don't know if it will last and he is 30 odd.
24 Nov 2015 18:30:33
Ed002, I think it's the astonishment that Ilori reportedly cost £7 million. Is highly rated by the coaching staff, played very well at the Euro U21's and that both Bordeaux and Granada were certainly better placed than Villa at the moment and he was getting games. Combine that with the fact that at least before Klopp arrived our defence was as leaky as Liverpool's team sheets at the moment we were expecting a least a run out for the young lad in the cups/europa.
We just want to see the boy play some football, but actually given that when the previous management has sent players on loan only Ibe ever came back and featured we probably should've expected it.
{Ed002's Note - He played less than 10 games for Grenada who are far from the standard of a Premier League team and perhaps a few more for a very average Bordeaux side. If he is so well thought of by the Liverpool coaching staff you would think they would have perhaps given him a game? His future is somewhere else, not at Liverpool.}
24 Nov 2015 19:06:20
Couldn't have said it any better Woolback.
24 Nov 2015 19:34:43
I would have thought Gomes may be a good one to line up for CB?
24 Nov 2015 20:53:23
My opinion is that Skrtel was never as bad as posters made out he was and also that he hasn't vastly improved all of a sudden under the few weeks Klopp has been here. He got a bucket full of abuse for the last lot of seasons, did Klopp come in a wipe all Skrtel's flaws out in a few training sessions? I would think it would take a bit longer than that. He is a decent player, no more.
24 Nov 2015 21:17:21
Woolback is spot on! because Skrtel has improved under Klopp has a lot more to do with Klopp`s ability to simplify the defensive part of the game in contrast to the pointless platitudes and defensive over-complication of things seen under BR, IMO. That doesn`t mean Skrtel suddenly became a good defender. BVB played a high line under Klopp but can`t do it here due to you guessed it, Skrtel`s lack of pace hence, we defend a bit deeper BUT we are also able to press the ball carrier way before he gets into our final third which makes us compact and difficult to break down (See Alan Shearer`s MOTD break down of the City game. Just Brilliant! ) . That is just the tactical brilliance of a manager and not the quality of a known poor defender, IMO. Also, I don`t think people really think Ilori is the savior. many like myself, just wann see the boy play for us and if he can`t hack it, at least we would have seen it instead of referreing to his record at pointless loan clubs and the evaluation done on him by the failed former regime. Just saying!
24 Nov 2015 22:00:47
Spot on Redohio that's exactly all most of us want. Give the likes of Ilori and Tex a decent chance and if they can't hack it so be it off you go. We aren't saying they are going to be world class but if they are given a chance you just never know, just saying.
24 Nov 2015 22:18:18
Think skrtel would be a decent third choice.
24 Nov 2015 22:45:21
Many posters in here will suffer a lot, bcos Klopp won't replace Skrtel. you can live with that.
24 Nov 2015 23:35:04
And you know that how, Tooka? Nonsensical post filled with subjective inuendo with no basis in reality. Many on here thought our squad was average and some players needed to go before Klopp took over. Suddenly, they are putting all those posters to shame with the way Klopp has harnessed all the potential many of us already knew they had. You must have been part of that shameless group trashing the squad, eh? Nobody knows what Klopp will do with Skrtel in the off season so don't come on here like some ITK because none of us know what will happen, yourself included.
25 Nov 2015 00:04:46
Still stuns me the criticism Skrtel gets. He has been our best defender since Carragher retired and would benefit greatly from an organiser next to him. That's why I thought Lovren was brought in, but that hasn't exactly worked out. I've been saying this for years, but I've lost count of the number of last ditch blocks and tackles the lad's made. Yes, I know a "smarter" defender may not have allowed things to get to that stage, but he's often cleaned up other people's mess as well.
25 Nov 2015 07:18:09
Defending the middle is all about partnerships.
Skrtel needs the right partner alongside him.
I believe the Sakho-Skrtel partnership is a good one. I don't think Lovren is a good replacement for Sakho.
If anyone were to leave, my money is on Lovren.
25 Nov 2015 09:01:20
Sorry Burkey, but that's just nonesense, he's rarely cleaned up other peoples messes, and he's often helped create messes that he's then covered. Skrtelhasn't been close to our best defender that's been Sakho. If you need an organiser next to you to tell you how to do your job (you're not very good at your job) . I agree wqith most, I just want to see Ilori given a chance. I really don't thinkhe can be worse than Skrtel.
25 Nov 2015 14:38:26
Burkey, your post is ridiculous. Cleans up other people`s mess, Skrtel is our best defender. Seriously? What meds are you on? He`s not an organizer, can`t position hemself to save his life, has no pace, drops way too deep when strikers attack hem hence, we can`t play a high line, tries to win balls he clearly can`t, gets bullied by strikers most of the time, the list goes on. After all that i mentioned, you still think he`s our best defender? Sakho is our best defender because he is able to do all the things Skrtel can`t and making last ditch tackles that looks good on a highlight reel, doesn`t make you a good defender. Have you ever seen Sakho make such last ditch tackles? You haven`t because he`s everything Skrtel wished he was. If you`re always aware defensively, you won`t need to do that.