Dejan Lovren

[Buzzo]

I'm starting to worry about Lovren again. He's not the car crash he was, but I'm not convinced he's the solution either. He's not at all commanding without a leader like Sakho or Toure (wish we still had Toure ) next to him, he's currently our senior CB. Hopefully Matip will get a good run out against Burton and we can see what he is all about.

[G]

Not sure whats going on with Matip, a strange one for a player apparently admired by Klopp for years and can't get a game in a defence shipping goals for fun.

[Shaggy]

Just a case of him being not ready isn't it? Missed 3 weeks or so of pre-season.

[Fredo]

He's clearly not ready and probably is the case with Can as well. I don't think the central defenders were completely at fault for the goals today. What was our midfield doing?

[Buzzo]

He's clearly not ready and probably is the case with Can as well. I don't think the central defenders were completely at fault for the goals today. What was our midfield doing?

Yeah I agree on Can and Matip not being ready, and on our midfield not being quite right... But I still can't help feeling concerned about Lovren.

It's not just on today, more in general. We shall see, but I think he needs a Sakho or a Toure type keeping him right and I wonder if he will drop to the bench once Sakho and Matip are fit.

[G]

If its just a "not ready" thing I'd expect them both to get minutes at Burton.

[Fredo]

If its just a "not ready" thing I'd expect them both to get minutes at Burton.

They certainly will.

[Daniel 7]

All of a sudden our best central defender. This is not a positive development

[kubrickscube]

We just need Sakho back beside him.

[danperkins]

You cannot build a solid defence with players like Dejan Lovren in it.

[labourRed]

I didn't think he was the worst part of the back line. That was - to my mind - Klavan.

I think Klavan may start against Burton though to shake that game off but Lovren will be rested. Expect to see Matip as well.

[Muddled]

We just need Sakho back beside him.

When you look at Klavan's movement and his inability to hold a line, you can see similarities to Skrtel. From experience, we know those kind of defensive attributes don't complement Lovren and it's no surprise we are shipping goals.

Sakho's return will improve us no end.

[Doc_Piptorious]

You cannot build a solid defence with players like Dejan Lovren in it.

Why?

I think as long as Lovern is not expected to be the one organising the back line and the backline does not contain too many weak links then he is solid enough.


He is the sort of defender who slots in well to a back line that is already marshalled by another player and if the other players are of a decent to good level he tends to play to the level of those around him.


With Southampton he was part of a well drilled backline and the season he joined them they knocked 14 goals off the number of league goals they had conceded the season before.

With Lyon he showed both sides of his game. He showed how good he could be in a stable consistent back line and he also showed that when placed in a back line with weak links that he can be prone to becoming overloaded.


Since he joined us he has been in a back line that has included Skrtel, Mignolet, and Moreno. Three players who have shown than have good games but also three players who have shown themselves capable of regular game changing poor performances. Often all three of them were in the same back line at the same time.

Put a Clyne level left back into our team, a confident performing keeper and a centre back who will either take charge or lead by example and I would be quite confident of Lovern not looking out of his depth.

Of course a big part of any back line doing it's job relies on the players in midfield too, so getting that right plays a big part in deciding whether the defence actually gets to defend in cycles or having to firefight game in game out.


As it happens, Lovern would not be a starter for me is everyone was fit, but he has shown enough with us, Southampton, and Lyon for a pretty good idea to be had of his qualities and weaknesses. For me he is good enough to slot into a well drilled back line and perform well on a regular basis, but he is also prone to going into his shell when expected to be the one marshalling a disjointed back line.

[Doc_Piptorious]

When you look at Klavan's movement and his inability to hold a line, you can see similarities to Skrtel. From experience, we know those kind of defensive attributes don't complement Lovren and it's no surprise we are shipping goals.

Sakho's return will improve us no end.

Would agree with that. A fully fit Sakho makes a big difference to our play. Yes he has a bad game her and there (same as any player) but for every bad game he tends to put in six or seven solid performances and he tends to speed up our playing out from the back greatly.


A fully fit Matip and Sakho would be my CB pairing of choice for us, but to see the best from them I suspect we need greater quality at LB and also an addition to midfield.

Midfield in particular would be crucial to a pairing of Matip and Sakho as both players like to either go up the pitch with the ball or to play a pass quickly to feet after breaking up an attack. A midfielder (or midfielders) who can quickly receive the ball and turn/move/pass just as quickly with it would be imo essential to get the best from our ball playing CBs

[Chris]

Yeah it's bollocks you cant be solid with Lovren in it, him and Sakho together concede under a goal per game, 10 conceded in 13.5 games together which is actually an awesome return, they shut out the **** like Rubin, Sunderland and Everton, defended brilliantly v Utd (clean sheet), Spurs away (clean sheet), Dortmund away. We've had two "bad" defensive games with them, Dortmund at home v one of the best attacks in Europe and they both made up for that at the other end! Leicester away where we lost 2-0 but Vardy's opener was a 1 in 1000 wonder goal anyway!

Sakho doesn't have that record with anyone else and Lovren doesn't have that record with anyone else, they mesh well together, thats obvious. The problem isn't how they play together it's getting them on the pitch, we'll be lucky to get them together for 20 games a season given their injury/other troubles so hopefully Matip slots in and we have 3 who can mesh well together!