Dejan Lovren

[Muddled]

That was my understanding too after checking out the BBC website earlier today on the world wide web.

[Shaggy]

Very early days I know but I am still totally unconvinced. Some fans have raved about him, based mainly on a friendly v Dortmund? I just don't see it. Not yet anyway. Makes a fair few last ditch tackles/blocks but half the time it seems to be rectifying his own **** up. Looks positionally erratic to me. Hope he proves me wrong.

[danperkins]

Very early days I know but I am still totally unconvinced. Some fans have raved about him, based mainly on a friendly v Dortmund? I just don't see it. Not yet anyway. Makes a fair few last ditch tackles/blocks but half the time it seems to be rectifying his own **** up. Looks positionally erratic to me. Hope he proves me wrong.

[DannyMan2006]

He's started very poorly. And our defence looks no better with him in the side. Early days though.

[Venton]

This needs a bit of time. Villa were **** today, but so were we. They scored a messy goal and then just marshalled their lines properly. We'll get our drills right, properly integrating our transitions between defence and attack, and Lovren will form part of that. Look at Atletico tonight against the gatalticos - a well drilled team can defeat a better equipped but less cohesive one.

[BobTheCharmer]

He's like a skrtel mark 2, both prone to lapses in concentration, both like to throw themselves around for blocks, both wrestle in the area, both guilty of lunging in.

On the plus side, defending is a dying art and I don't see many excellent ones anywhere right now, not in this league, so if we can learn to defend set pieces with the players we have, we'll be no worse off than many.

[G]

I was sceptical at his purchase and nothings changed. Early days of course but I just don't see it. Southampton have carried on being pretty solid and in his absence. I really think we need a new coach for the defensive side of things. Even the ****test teams can be a lot more well drilled than us at the back.

[Muddled]

I think Lovren has some great attributes. He's deceptively quick, he's relatively strong, doesn't shirk the physicality of the game and his passing is decent. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to roam, which is a bad combination as Sakho does the same. Our back line, which should in tandem, is erratic. When you look at the corner from which Southampton scored, Lovren wasn't even goal side. Maybe he's finding his feet in a new defensive set-up, but I'm fairly sure Southampton used a mixture of man-to-man and zonal marking, so it can't be that different.

Sakho looks awesome with Skrtel but nervous with Lovren. Lovren looks steady with Skrtel, but Skrtel is all at sea ... I dunno, somebody tell me it's going to come good with time. Mignolet is 26, Manquillo is 20, Lovren 25, Sakho 24 and Moreno 22 and they going to peak together at the right time?

[RichC]

Skrtel and Lovren so far this season have looked similar to me, both evacuate their space and get drawn out of position which when it works and they win the ball is ok but it leaves us badly exposed when it doesn't coupled with the attention on wrestling the man at set pieces rather than focusing on the ball again leaves us exposed.

I've no idea of the solution at the moment although the apparent leadership qualities of Lovren would give him the edge over Skrtel for me. I guess we have to remember that the back line is essentially brand new with both fullbacks summer signings along with Lovren.

[Exiled_red]

Skrtel and Lovren so far this season have looked similar to me, both evacuate their space and get drawn out of position which when it works and they win the ball is ok but it leaves us badly exposed when it doesn't coupled with the attention on wrestling the man at set pieces rather than focusing on the ball again leaves us exposed.

I've no idea of the solution at the moment although the apparent leadership qualities of Lovren would give him the edge over Skrtel for me. I guess we have to remember that the back line is essentially brand new with both fullbacks summer signings along with Lovren.

Everyone has said this about Lovren, but I am yet to see any sign of it for us, but as we keep saying it is early days yet.

[rodo]

no leadership at all in any of our centre halves maybe sahko is a language thing but its pissing me right off also mignolet is the same every game starts shouting pointing etc after the opposition either score of have a chance maybe he wants to try it before!!

[captainfog]

He's not been the presence I had hoped. Nearly 40 million spent on our centre back pairing and we look all over the place.

[MrMichael]

I do wish we had a commanding presence in goal that's for sure.

I think Lovren is nervous, and with 2 new, young full backs - do either of them speak English well yet? - and Sakho/Skrtel alongside, both of whom have idiosyncrasies, we need to give Lovren time to grow into the role. I will be much more worried if we don't start improving as things settle down.

[captainfog]

I do wish we had a commanding presence in goal that's for sure.

I think Lovren is nervous, and with 2 new, young full backs - do either of them speak English well yet? - and Sakho/Skrtel alongside, both of whom have idiosyncrasies, we need to give Lovren time to grow into the role. I will be much more worried if we don't start improving as things settle down.

I think the full backs are a massive upgrade on last season.

[rodo]

I think the full backs are a massive upgrade on last season.