Martin Skrtel

[danperkins]

IMO this guy is a very average CB and thats being kind. I don't think he's good enough for the starting 11 and i'd rather have Soto as back up, at least Soto will win headers even if he is awful on the deck.

Skrtel is rash,clumsy,terrible on the ground and for a guy his size with all his tattoos etc he seems to lose so many physical battles and is shocking in the air. IMO 100% sell in the summer, the guy is a liability and we should get decent price for him.

Opinions?

[banditos]

IMO this guy is a very average CB and thats being kind. I don't think he's good enough for the starting 11 and i'd rather have Soto as back up, at least Soto will win headers even if he is awful on the deck.

Skrtel is rash,clumsy,terrible on the ground and for a guy his size with all his tattoos etc he seems to lose so many physical battles and is shocking in the air. IMO 100% sell in the summer, the guy is a liability and we should get decent price for him.

Opinions?

I agree, but Soto's idiotic tackle to give away the penalty at Braga suggests he's just as, if not more, rash.

[red g]

i would keep soto as back up and get rid of skrtel.

both arent good enough tbh.

we seem to have some very good young cb's in reserve but not sure any are ready to be relied upon next season.

a decent cb is needed in summer to partner agger. When agger is injured Carra can get games.

[danperkins]

I agree, but Soto's idiotic tackle to give away the penalty at Braga suggests he's just as, if not more, rash.

Fair point mate. Soto is shocking on the ground for sure and it was a stupid tackle. But you watch Skrtel in almost every game he plays, he is genuinely lucky to not give away a penalty in every one.

Anyways Soto & Skrtel for me are just squaddies at best, the fact that Skrtel has played every game this season for us, says alot about the way we have defended this year. We need another top CB for the starting 11, although Soto and Skrtel are much of a muchness two average players, personally for back up i'd rather have Soto, as he actually wins headers.

I think we'd get decent money for Skrtel too.

[danperkins]

i would keep soto as back up and get rid of skrtel.

both arent good enough tbh.

we seem to have some very good young cb's in reserve but not sure any are ready to be relied upon next season.

a decent cb is needed in summer to partner agger. When agger is injured Carra can get games.

[Bender]

IMO this guy is a very average CB and thats being kind. I don't think he's good enough for the starting 11 and i'd rather have Soto as back up, at least Soto will win headers even if he is awful on the deck.

Skrtel is rash,clumsy,terrible on the ground and for a guy his size with all his tattoos etc he seems to lose so many physical battles and is shocking in the air. IMO 100% sell in the summer, the guy is a liability and we should get decent price for him.

Opinions?

[Fredo]

He's the youngest of our centre backs, alongside Agger. He's got a better long term future at the club compared to Carra and Soto. Skrtel has regressed a bit during the last year or so and to me it's down to the fact we've changed systems at the back. He just doesn't seem to be adapting to man marking. He's not as terrible as that, the goal conceded yesterday was down to a silly tackle by Soto, not down to Skrtel.

[PTP]

for me it's an area that needs to be addressed but there are more important areas first - i'd be ok with the current centre back set up for another year, providing we go out and sign a top left back, a top centre mid and two top attacking/pacy/creative wide men -

One could argue that if we had say, Baines, Parker, Young and Hazard in the side, then the centre backs would be fine - they'd have a proper left back doing his job, they'd have some better protection in front of them, and - we would have better attacking options, making us stronger going forward, they'd be under less pressure as we'd attack more than defend

Once and only once we finally sort the vital areas out, we should then look at addressing centre back - for me the questions are

Agger - class, but needs to get fit! if we can't get him fit then we have to sell, and sign a top centre half who is a similar ball player type

Skrtel - Not good enough and should be replaced for a top, strong in air first choice centre half to partner agger(or his replacement) in the first team.

Carragher - still has a role to play and plenty to offer - good experience, should however become more of a squad player as he ages, offering cover to the other two. He'd still play 25 plus games a season

Kyriakos - I'd keep him for one more season - Wilson and Ayala just don't look ready yet

I'd look to send wilson and ayala out on loan so they could get first team football - when they come back, either they are good enough to take the place of kyriakos, or they get sold and we sign a replacement for kyriakos

[danperkins]

He's the youngest of our centre backs, alongside Agger. He's got a better long term future at the club compared to Carra and Soto. Skrtel has regressed a bit during the last year or so and to me it's down to the fact we've changed systems at the back. He just doesn't seem to be adapting to man marking. He's not as terrible as that, the goal conceded yesterday was down to a silly tackle by Soto, not down to Skrtel.

And? He's sub standard regardless of his age. He doesn't seem to be adapting to being any good, never mind man marking, and its been alot longer than a year and well before man marking came in

[danperkins]

for me it's an area that needs to be addressed but there are more important areas first - i'd be ok with the current centre back set up for another year, providing we go out and sign a top left back, a top centre mid and two top attacking/pacy/creative wide men -

One could argue that if we had say, Baines, Parker, Young and Hazard in the side, then the centre backs would be fine - they'd have a proper left back doing his job, they'd have some better protection in front of them, and - we would have better attacking options, making us stronger going forward, they'd be under less pressure as we'd attack more than defend

Once and only once we finally sort the vital areas out, we should then look at addressing centre back - for me the questions are

Agger - class, but needs to get fit! if we can't get him fit then we have to sell, and sign a top centre half who is a similar ball player type

Skrtel - Not good enough and should be replaced for a top, strong in air first choice centre half to partner agger(or his replacement) in the first team.

Carragher - still has a role to play and plenty to offer - good experience, should however become more of a squad player as he ages, offering cover to the other two. He'd still play 25 plus games a season

Kyriakos - I'd keep him for one more season - Wilson and Ayala just don't look ready yet

I'd look to send wilson and ayala out on loan so they could get first team football - when they come back, either they are good enough to take the place of kyriakos, or they get sold and we sign a replacement for kyriakos

fair post

[Fredo]

And? He's sub standard regardless of his age. He doesn't seem to be adapting to being any good, never mind man marking, and its been alot longer than a year and well before man marking came in

He' nowhere near as bad as that. I don't understand why you'd pinpoint him when last night's defeat was more to do with Soto's poor tackle than anything Skrtel did badly.

[danperkins]

He' nowhere near as bad as that. I don't understand why you'd pinpoint him when last night's defeat was more to do with Soto's poor tackle than anything Skrtel did badly.

Well i'd rather judge a players performance over the long term, rather than just one clumsy mistake in an isolated game. Soto is what he is and for the money we paid has been worth it.

I have in no way pin pointed Skrtel in last nights defeat, my opinion is on a broader scale and is a general opinion of his performance at LFC for quite some time now

[red g]

Soto and Skrtel are both accidents waiting to happen and i agree with ldp, Skrtel doesnt really offer anything more than Soto apart from age......Yet SOto is more aerially dominant also he looks like andy caroll and could be used as a decoy in attack and the oppo's defence wouldnt know which man-beast to get mauled by.

[Rudo]

Soto and Skrtel are both accidents waiting to happen and i agree with ldp, Skrtel doesnt really offer anything more than Soto apart from age......Yet SOto is more aerially dominant also he looks like andy caroll and could be used as a decoy in attack and the oppo's defence wouldnt know which man-beast to get mauled by.

Skrtel's more mobile and better on the ball than Soto.

Skrtel confuses the **** out of me btw, when he arrived and played a few games i thought he was a dud and wrote him off completely.
- Then he gradually came into his own and looked like a top defender

Was consistently good for about 18 months, but this season he's lost his way big time and his confidence looks shot to pieces...still had some great games since Kenny's came in but overall it's not the Skrtel that marked some of Europe's top strikers out of matches.

Don't know a damn what we should do with him come the summer tbh. I'd still prefer him to stay but should he continue to look shaky then i might change my mind.

[Mostar]

He's the youngest of our centre backs, alongside Agger. He's got a better long term future at the club compared to Carra and Soto. Skrtel has regressed a bit during the last year or so and to me it's down to the fact we've changed systems at the back. He just doesn't seem to be adapting to man marking. He's not as terrible as that, the goal conceded yesterday was down to a silly tackle by Soto, not down to Skrtel.

If we don't need to sell to buy I would keep him too. Not a first choice CB but he can be decent squad back up.

Soto and Carra are not spring chickens and on that basis I think Soto will be first to go if we decide (which we really should) to improve our back line.