Dejan Lovren

[BubbaZanetti]

After that ended with a dreadful error that presented West Ham United with their second goal in the 3-0 win, Slaven Bilic said: “He was over-confident and that can happen.” Bilic was otherwise fulsome in his praise of his fellow Croatian, insisting that: “When he’s concentrating and thinking only about his own game, not about the left-back or whoever is alongside him, there are very few centre-halves who are better than him.” Though he did add the caveat: “I’m not objective about him because I like him.”

We should have sent this chump on loan

[dizzycat]

Brendon REALLY likes him Slaven....

[Lecter]

Sure, question Rodgers' decision to play Lovren over Sakho in the opening game, but it was clear from then on that the back five was going to stay the same and the clean sheets vindicated that choice.

I'm sure Sakho will have been told to train hard, fight for his place and take the next opportunity that comes. At what point should Rodgers have given Sakho some minutes? It's game four of a long season and unless you're Mourinho, substituting centre-backs for anything other than injury is pretty rare.

On this basis we will never drop Lovren, because Sakho won't have enough match fitness

Sounds a cop out to me

Still one thong is certain if Rodgers continues to play Lovren he won't be our manager for much longer

[The_weatherman]

On this basis we will never drop Lovren, because Sakho won't have enough match fitness

Sounds a cop out to me

Still one thong is certain if Rodgers continues to play Lovren he won't be our manager for much longer

It's madness that Brendan ever, for one moment, chose to have Lovren starting ahead of Sakho. Our first three CB's are Skrtel, Lovren and Sakho and he leaves out Sakho. It just beggars belief. He'll have to give Sakho a run now, for more than just the United game too.

[Buzzo]

It's a high risk strategy persevering with Lovren.

Surely every manager in the country (well, maybe bar one ) knows that if you get in and about Lovren, get him turned and pressure him whilst he is on the ball then you have a good chance of forcing a mistake. It's fine margins at the top level, and this fella is unfortunately a liability. I honestly don't believe Brendan will ignore this fact for the next match.

Everyone was predicting the mistake on Saturday, it's astonishing to believe the coaches weren't.

[Vermilion]

On this basis we will never drop Lovren, because Sakho won't have enough match fitness

Sounds a cop out to me

Still one thong is certain if Rodgers continues to play Lovren he won't be our manager for much longer

Ooh saucy, so thats how Lovren does it eh..

[Muddled]

On this basis we will never drop Lovren, because Sakho won't have enough match fitness

Sounds a cop out to me

Still one thong is certain if Rodgers continues to play Lovren he won't be our manager for much longer

I'm thinking Lovren's performance might have given Rodgers a dilemma. My point was that the back five for West Ham was going to be the same as it was for Stoke. Somehow Lovren's performance has turned in to a stick for CaptainFog to beat Rodgers with.

I guess Sakho was due to feature in our Europa League and Capital One Cup games to prove his fitness and get some game time. Lovren may have opened the door for Sakho to get in the action early.

[Lecter]

If he persists with Lovren he will be gone it's that simple in my mind

Ok people will point and say we had 3 clean sheets with Lovren playing but for me that was despite playing Lovren normal service was resumed on Saturday

[Lecter]

I'm thinking Lovren's performance might have given Rodgers a dilemma. My point was that the back five for West Ham was going to be the same as it was for Stoke. Somehow Lovren's performance has turned in to a stick for CaptainFog to beat Rodgers with.

I guess Sakho was due to feature in our Europa League and Capital One Cup games to prove his fitness and get some game time. Lovren may have opened the door for Sakho to get in the action early.

Barring injury I think Lovren will start v United

[The_weatherman]

I'm thinking Lovren's performance might have given Rodgers a dilemma. My point was that the back five for West Ham was going to be the same as it was for Stoke. Somehow Lovren's performance has turned in to a stick for CaptainFog to beat Rodgers with.

I guess Sakho was due to feature in our Europa League and Capital One Cup games to prove his fitness and get some game time. Lovren may have opened the door for Sakho to get in the action early.

Capitan Fog probably was, like me and others, peeved off at the start of the season when Lovren was selected over Sakho to begin with. So yes, the fact that he's in the XI at all, will probably be used as a stick to beat poor Mr. Rodgers. It's madness that after last season, Sakho loses his place and it seems to be Lovren's to lose. It's like picking Allen over Henderson, it would just be stupid.

[captainfog]

I'm thinking Lovren's performance might have given Rodgers a dilemma. My point was that the back five for West Ham was going to be the same as it was for Stoke. Somehow Lovren's performance has turned in to a stick for CaptainFog to beat Rodgers with.

I guess Sakho was due to feature in our Europa League and Capital One Cup games to prove his fitness and get some game time. Lovren may have opened the door for Sakho to get in the action early.

It is poor squad management. I don't really see how you can argue to the contrary.

[Buzzo]

Barring injury I think Lovren will start v United

It would be madness, but you may be right. It is a treatment that a few other players could go knocking on the managers door to complain about having not been offered similar opportunity after mistakes.

The problem is, I don't even think Lovren is playing badly (to clarify, for his capabilities). What we have seen is what you get with him. I don't think he has it in him to become the player we need him to be.

[The_weatherman]

It is poor squad management. I don't really see how you can argue to the contrary.

I agree, the fact that we're having to use a specific selection on the left to counter Lovren's failings is handicapping us.

[Muddled]

Capitan Fog probably was, like me and others, peeved off at the start of the season when Lovren was selected over Sakho to begin with. So yes, the fact that he's in the XI at all, will probably be used as a stick to beat poor Mr. Rodgers.

I'm a big Sakho fan and have argued his ability on here many a time, so I'm as perplexed by Sakho's omission as much as you and others too. However, Lovren's performance was awful and somehow the reasoning is I should feel sorry for him and him trying to salalom his way out from left back is Rodgers' fault?

[Lecter]

Lovren's game time has mirrored the teams performance imo

Stoke match told us nothing as neither team did enough to exploit the defences and it was won on a moment of magic

Bournemouth game I thought they exposed him and we lucked out due to their poor final ball and finishing

Arsenal was our best game and he did well there

West Ham normal service was resumed both from Lovren standpoint and the team as a whole