Cardiff Home Post Match

[Chris]

Are you on a wind up? If not, that's harsh and over the top.

Nope, I think he's poor and the main reason we hardly keep a clean sheet. He always wants to go backwards while Sakho and Agger want to go forwards, it was always said we went deeper because Carragher played but he's much worse for it, on the rare occasions he finds himself defending further forward or out wide he loses the plot as he doesn't like it and usually belts someone. He doesn't seem to trust others so comes over to their position, gets in the way and costs us goals like at Hull. Mignolet gives him the ball to get something going, it usually ends up straight back to Mignolet. Crosses come in and sometimes he's not even bothering to look at the ball, instead preferring to try and haul the opponent to the floor, which is fine while you get away with it I suppose but has been worryingly highlighted this weekend.

On the plus side he's a threat in the opponents box from set pieces, he's quite quick and doesn't mind throwing himself in where it hurts but overall I think he's a big, big problem which luckily isn't costing us too much at the moment as we have one of the best attacks in Europe.

In the league under Rodgers he's started : 38, W18, D9, L11. Conceded 49. 1.28 per game.

Not started : 17, W9, D7, L1. Conceded 13. 0.76 per game.

2 clean sheets in 2 without him this season. 3 in 15 with him.

The difference in goals conceded and losses when he plays compared to when he doesn't is pretty staggering. Though of course stats never tell the whole story, like he was playing when we had no attack and was often dropped when Sturridge, Coutinho come in and its not just him making clangers but I dont rate him and want him out of the team ASAP.

[dom9]

Nope, I think he's poor and the main reason we hardly keep a clean sheet. He always wants to go backwards while Sakho and Agger want to go forwards, it was always said we went deeper because Carragher played but he's much worse for it, on the rare occasions he finds himself defending further forward or out wide he loses the plot as he doesn't like it and usually belts someone. He doesn't seem to trust others so comes over to their position, gets in the way and costs us goals like at Hull. Mignolet gives him the ball to get something going, it usually ends up straight back to Mignolet. Crosses come in and sometimes he's not even bothering to look at the ball, instead preferring to try and haul the opponent to the floor, which is fine while you get away with it I suppose but has been worryingly highlighted this weekend.

On the plus side he's a threat in the opponents box from set pieces, he's quite quick and doesn't mind throwing himself in where it hurts but overall I think he's a big, big problem which luckily isn't costing us too much at the moment as we have one of the best attacks in Europe.

In the league under Rodgers he's started : 38, W18, D9, L11. Conceded 49. 1.28 per game.

Not started : 17, W9, D7, L1. Conceded 13. 0.76 per game.

2 clean sheets in 2 without him this season. 3 in 15 with him.

The difference in goals conceded and losses when he plays compared to when he doesn't is pretty staggering. Though of course stats never tell the whole story, like he was playing when we had no attack and was often dropped when Sturridge, Coutinho come in and its not just him making clangers but I dont rate him and want him out of the team ASAP.

Makes sense.

[Shaggy]

Quite a convincing argument and I'd be interested to see how we did for a stretch without Skrtel. I think Sakho and Agger are our best two centre halves but obviously a right footer and a left footer gives us a bit better balance and Agger has been below par for a while. Skrtel has pretty obvious deficiencies but IMO his plus points are too readily taken for granted. I mean...he's the regular centre back in a team topping the league and whose manager picks on merit - how bad can he be?!

[dww]

I'm slightly suspicious of that stat on the basis that we have conceded in a number of games once well up (Norwich and Cardiff are the ones I'm currently remembering but I'm sure there are more). It seems more a collective lack of concentration than the influence of an individual.

I do think there are weaknesses to Skrtel but he's a good player and IMO far from a liability.

We really need to look into defending the back post on set pieces it has been a real Achilles heel for us under Rodgers.

[Mostar]

I'm slightly suspicious of that stat on the basis that we have conceded in a number of games once well up (Norwich and Cardiff are the ones I'm currently remembering but I'm sure there are more). It seems more a collective lack of concentration than the influence of an individual.

I do think there are weaknesses to Skrtel but he's a good player and IMO far from a liability.

We really need to look into defending the back post on set pieces it has been a real Achilles heel for us under Rodgers.

I agree with that.

Just few years ago he was our best defender and though he really hasn't performed constistently well since BR took over he is still a good option for us.

Lack of concentration has been an issue for him periodically but I tend to think that our almost weekly shuffling at the back has lot to do with our imbalance there and his inconsistencies.

[~LFCHistory~]

Quite a convincing argument and I'd be interested to see how we did for a stretch without Skrtel. I think Sakho and Agger are our best two centre halves but obviously a right footer and a left footer gives us a bit better balance and Agger has been below par for a while. Skrtel has pretty obvious deficiencies but IMO his plus points are too readily taken for granted. I mean...he's the regular centre back in a team topping the league and whose manager picks on merit - how bad can he be?!

Skrtel will not be dropped as long as we keep winning IMO, I'd love to a pairing of Sakho/Agger given a chance but the 11 BR has been using is working (4 wins in a row), no need to change anything as things stand.

[Shaggy]

Carra and Neville about to analyse our win over Cardiff and our title chances on MNF

[Fredo]

Mnf?

[G]

Monday night football on Sky

[Kenneth]

Everybody has a man bar Skrtel who also plays them all onside

He only plays one of them onside. Had he not been there it looks like they would have had at least two players onside and goal side of their defender. Our positioning was a cluster**** and it wouldn't be a surprise if Skrtel tried to take a lead in trying to cover the danger zone.

[G]

If he stays in line the fella in front of him is offside and its end of threat.

[Red_Polo]

Well, yeah, except for all the other players that aren't offside

[G]

I'm forgetting the "not interfering with play" part aren't I

Either way **** knows where he's running too,all the rest are in some sort of line and he's broke ranks,all the while there's two lads behind Sakho who nobody seems to have noticed. Its a mess all round.

[Muddled]

The fact Skrtel is on the left side of our centre back pairing makes me think that they've been allocated men to mark; Skrtel may be going around to get his man and the still picture doesn't give the full picture. We've got Kelly at centre back, Sakho at right back and nobody saying there is a man over. Nobody has taken charge.