Martin Skrtel

[Exiled_red]

To be honest I don't have much of a problem with Mignolet he isn't the best keeper in the world but I think he's ok. Skrtel is capable of being a decent defender when there is someone alongside him to help him through, the problem is he is now 30 he should have developed into the leader of the back line and he hasn't not sure whether that is his fault or ours as a club. Lovren is a mistake waiting to happen. None of the 3 of them are particularly commanding and I think that creates a nervousness that leads to many problems. I think a backline of Mignolet, Skrtel and some commanding defensive organiser would be fine. I often feel that Lovren and Sktrel as a partnership are trying to out do one another in terms of rashness.

[Keyser Soze]

Doesn't matter who the manager we LFC are expected to attack the opposition, sitting back soaking up pressure can work when we play teams better than us but i'd still expect us to have a go in these games.

The holy trinity would work for teams with lower expectations, where they park the bus all game and are shielded by the rest of the team. We don't play like that and nor would fans accept it on a regular basis (one of the reasons Mourinho got the chop the first time at Chelsea).

They need to be able to defend one on one (they can't) they need to be part of the team that builds the attack (they can't).

[Keyser Soze]

So basically **** all. People only say Fonte was good now because they realised they were wrong about Lovren being the leader of the defence there. Southampton had Wanyama and Schneiderlin protecting their back line but it's a bit optimistic to suggest they were better than Skrtel.

I said Williams was a decent CB, you suggested Both Southampton CBs were some of the best in the league. Williams is a decent CB. Skrtel is not slow at all, he grabs shirts Luke every single CB in every single league in the world. As Danny said earlier you try to change a no nonsense CB into a ball playing CB and **** happens. And as regards communication they be been playing together for a bit 4 games or so.

I don't think Skrtel is amazing or anything... I just like to bring the criticism down to a realistic and truthful level. Like I said.. There was no centre back better than him last season apart from Terry and Cahill. That's not too shabby.

1. So you're saying our centre backs need baby sitting
2. Skrtel is slow look at the ease in which Martial got past him (never mind him having kittens against Bolasie and Gayle and countless others)
3. He does take nonsense because he's got a shave head doesn't mean 'he's hard' he gets bullied no end at set pieces and its one of the reasons we've gone zonal as to man to man - him Lovren get beat too easily. Then with Zonal you see the cluster**** for the first goal, which leads to...
4. Poor decision making -
5. He should be leading, He's been there the longest in fact if he was a leader he's be captain or at least vice captain but 'ordinary' James Milner in his first season took that role.

[danperkins]

Premier League central defenders better than Skrtel last season:

John Terry
Gary Cahill
Laurent Koscielny
Phil Jagielka
Jose Fonte

Other Premier League central defenders statistically better than Skrtel last season:

Ashley Williams
Jason Shackell
Wes Morgan
Joleon Lescott
Per Mertesacker





So name a better defender than Skrtel last season that you watched on a regular basis?



So name a better defender than Skrtel last season that you watched on a regular basis and doesn't have Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Matic or another defensive midfielder in front of them?

Muds not a chance mate. Karl Henry was the best defensive midfielder in the league the other season according to the stats

[danperkins]

Skrtel was fine last year because he didn't have to play the ball under pressure at the back. He just had to sit there, head the ball and smash into people. All things he can do quite well when he's confident.

Problems start for Martin as soon as he's being asked to be in possession. A back 4 is the way forwards. Martin isn't good enough for a back 4. But sadly, at our club we've bigger problems than that.

Yeah I would agree with that. Way too much possession based football in a defence that is uncomfortable in possessesion. If Rodgers wants us to play that way, he has the wrong back line.

[MrMichael]

I've never been Skrtel's biggest fan, and I think the point about him in possession is very fair - along with those about his terrible habit of backing off players that hasn't been entirely solved by buying his biggest previous tormentor in Benteke - but I also tend to agree with Dan that he isn't necessarily our biggest issue either. Over the last 5 games I've been most concerned by out lack of identity and control of play in midfield, we just aren't imposing ourselves on games or really showing any cohesive forward impetus at all, and while a small amount of that may be down to our inability to play out from the back it is difficult to blame it entirely on the defenders.

With what seems like a lack of ability in midfield to control games pressure will always be put on the backline, which is the point at which our lack of top quality there becomes so exposed. At the moment there is only one player there I'm completely happy with in Clyne, and there is no way just having a solid right back can pull the rest of them up to a level they can deal with the disfunctionality in front of them.

Lucas, for me, is just too limited with the ball to play in a team without a world class ball player next to him. And if we did have a player like that, an Alonso say, would we need him too in that case? Formation and tactics make a huge difference of course, but watching Can, Lucas and Milner continually turn the ball over and get in each other's way without even seeming to offer a workmanlike shield to the backline worries me immensely. Henderson is the only midfield player we have with the potential to exercise serious stature there... maybe... and I think if anything might prove to be Rodger's undoing in the last couple of windows it could well be his blindspot, not over Lovren/Sktrel, but over not replacing Joe Allen with a player in the same ilk but actually good.

With a functioning midfield capable of controlling games and giving our forwards something other than a frustrating afternoon, the best defenders in the league would be struggling right now. SKrtel is not one of those anyway imo, but we don't help him either and until we sort that out we just won't be giving anyone we play at CB much of a chance.

[frank the tank]

If we want to compare the attributes of Skrtel, then we need to look at what he is expected to do.....in the unit of the defense.

Is he expected to be a leader? I don't think so, His communication with his full back has always been ****e. He also isn't really very good from a tactical point of view. He doesn't recognise danger correctly.

Is he expected to bring the ball into the middle of the park, make the opposition press him so that it frees up our midfielders and he can effectively start an attack? I don't think so. I think every manager recognises he is ****e at this so any defender he has played with has been expected to do this job.

For me, he is slightly above average at defending aerially....and can be handy with the odd goal from a corner. Apart from that, he doesn't exactly stand out whatsoever.

If Skrtel was released during the summer, then he is a lot more likely to end up at Stoke or WBA than any of the top 6 sides in the country. We've spent so much ****in money and we end up with him as our top centre back is a bit of a disgrace by the manager, committee and whoever-the-**** else is involved in buying players....

[baitman]

If Skrtel was released during the summer, then he is a lot more likely to end up at Stoke or WBA than any of the top 6 sides in the country.

this is an interesting point...

if we went through our first team and looked at who would want them, just how many would be wanted by a top six team...

not many.

and if they are not good enough then why are we ****ing about with them...

[cream]

Our defence is nothing special, but then we also have a midfield that wouldn't out of place at Burnley. When you're constantly under pressure, you're bound to make mistakes.

[Exiled_red]

Our defence is nothing special, but then we also have a midfield that wouldn't out of place at Burnley. When you're constantly under pressure, you're bound to make mistakes.

I don't think the players we have are bad it's a question of balance and for me the balance isn't right however we line up - which suggests we didn't make the right signings.

[McDermotX]

I don't think the players we have are bad it's a question of balance and for me the balance isn't right however we line up - which suggests we didn't make the right signings.

All over the shop. Even with Henderson in the side.

[cream]

We lack proper quality. Our midfield is bang average, very workman like, but then you need to be when you're chasing the ball all the time.

[Exiled_red]

We lack proper quality. Our midfield is bang average, very workman like, but then you need to be when you're chasing the ball all the time.

I think that there is another problem here that I don't think has been mentioned much, but our midfield consists of Lucas, Can and Milner, Lucas has been out injured for the best part of a year, Can spent last year playing at CB and Milner was a sub at Man City playing in wide areas. In the last year they probably have a total of about 20 games experience between them of playing centre mid (all of which have come this season). Although that is all of their prefered positions that can't help the situation.

[danperkins]

Yeah the midfield is a huge problem, balance is just not right. Too many players that are too similar. Over the past two seasons we've bought the wrong players in midfield, too many players that excel in central positions and not enough width.

Midfield now looks narrow, slow and easy to play against.

[The Birdman]

posted on 6th May

Since joining us in 07/08 in the season's where Skrtel has played more than 25 league games, so a regular/first choice we have finished -*
10/11 6th
11/12 8th
12/13 7th
13/14 2nd
14/15 5th (in all likelihood)

That is not someone we should be bending over backwards to pay fortunes to and keep, Skrtel is a good, experienced squad player, too do consistently better he needs to be replaced as a first team starter.
An appearance type deal is exactly the right contract to offer

Opinions are like arse holes, those facts are indisputable