Martin Skrtel

[-V-]

I think Skrtl has been handled poorly by Brendan. I am glad Carra is getting more chances but Skrtl /Agger defense has the chance to be our future central defense partnership and the focus should have been on developing them.

I agree he is not Baresi, but he is a very competent defender who could be a component of an effective defense. Agger/Skrtl were more than decent last season. So this summer we could potentially loose Carra, Coates, Skrtl, and Reina.

Has such a large scale overhaul of defense ever worked other than Houlliers legendary summer.

I agree. Dont see the point in Carra playing, i know its down to his organisational skills but we might as well build for the future by working on Skrtle/Agger

[DannyMan2006]

I agree. Dont see the point in Carra playing, i know its down to his organisational skills but we might as well build for the future by working on Skrtle/Agger

With a European place still up for grabs I think we need to play our best players. Pre season is for building, and the cups against lesser options are there to give fringe and youngsters a chance.

The league is your bread and butter, as someone who knows more about football than me once said. And at the very least we should be fighting for local pride and eager to finish above Everton.

If someone's on the bench and can't deal with it, then maybe they should be playing for a smaller club. I don't know if Assaidi will make it here, but his comments recently are a perfect example of an attitude I expect from players at this club.

[souliv]

I think Brendan should of handled this better , we need all our players feeling confident and willing to do all to get the maximum points, hopefully Brendan and Martin sort this out so they can get on with the rest of the season starting at the weekend with Wigan.

[BigChief]

If BR feels we can sell Skrtel and buy a player who is an 'improvement' and brings more to our game, I have no problem with that.

As always, there are some untouchable players you don't want the manager taking this approach with, e.g. Suarez, Lucas, etc. But Skrtel, as good as he has been, is still not in the untouchable category therefore I await with baited breath what Brendan has up his sleeve.

[Mark79]

I think Brendan should of handled this better , we need all our players feeling confident and willing to do all to get the maximum points, hopefully Brendan and Martin sort this out so they can get on with the rest of the season starting at the weekend with Wigan.

What more should Rodgers have done? He spoke to Skrtel beforehand to let him know that he would be leaving out of the upcoming games and gave him his reasons for doing so. Skrtel may not accept the reasons for being left out but then players rarely do.

[Bender]

Martin Skrtel insists he is more than happy with Liverpool, but admits his current situation is not 'ideal'.

For the first time in his Anfield career, the Slovak has found himself relegated to the bench under Brendan Rodgers in recent weeks.

Skrtel is currently sidelined with a thigh injury, but he does not appear confident of regaining his place.

"I have to wait, what else can I do?" he told Denik Sport.

"When I was healthy, I was training with the team, giving 100 per cent and doing all I could to prove to the coach that I belonged in the starting XI. I was waiting for a chance, one then came in St Petersburg, but then I was not playing again. However, now I'm injured and we'll see what happens when I'm back fit.

"It's hard to tell, but I would say it wouldn't (change). The coach has his ideas about the line-up and the question is if I would be in it if I was fit. I would say it's likelier I wouldn't. The most important thing for me is to recover as soon as possible and resume training."

Despite signing a new long-term deal late last year, Skrtel has been linked with a move, including possibly back to Russia with former club Zenit St Petersburg and Anzhi Makhachkala reported as admirers.

"It would be useless to think about a transfer during the season even if it is true that you can move to Russia till the end of February," he said.

"I have come across such views that it would not be correct to consider leaving a club where you have been on the bench in four or five fixtures. On the other hand, it is hard to put up with it. For three years at Liverpool I was playing in almost every match and even in the national team I have played a lot of games. I have had various thoughts but certainly I'm not going to make any hot-blooded decision.

"I repeat this - I want to be fit as soon as possible and fight for the place in the starting line-up.

"If the coach should lose interest in keeping me in his team, then we would have to handle it with my agent. For the present it is valid that I am at Liverpool where I have a long-term contract and I am not thinking about leaving."

Skrtel's issues with Rodgers first came to light after their defeat to Manchester United earlier this season.

"It all happened after our match with Manchester United in the middle of January. Before that match we had won twice 3-0 in the league - at QPR and at home we beat Sunderland," he said.

"In Manchester we lost 2-1 but I think that particularly in the second half we played very well. Moreover, a lot of sources gave me a good rating. But he [Rodgers] told me we had lost the organisation of play in the defensive line and that this would be the reason why I would not play in the following matches.

"I don't know which fixtures he spoke about because we had kept a clean sheet twice in a row and won both matches. Also, we did not disappoint in the game against United.

"He [Rodgers] selects the line-up and picks players who will be on the pitch. At the moment I'm not among the first 11. It makes me sad but the coach has decided like this and I have to respect it."

Asked if Rodgers and he had talked about his axing from the side, he said: "Yes, we have but it is not ideal. He told me something on this, gave me some explanation, but it's hard to tell if it was the true reason he gave me.

"I don't think it was and think there is something else behind it.

"Anyway, I'm not the type of player who would be chasing the coach and be in his office all the time, asking for explanations why I'm not playing. I have never done this, I'm not doing it now and I never will be. If the coach wants to tell me something, he will summon me.

"I would not like to make any unnecessary conflicts because the thing that is above all is success for Liverpool as a club and I will support them even if I'm on the bench or in the stands."
link

[cream]

If BR feels we can sell Skrtel and buy a player who is an 'improvement' and brings more to our game, I have no problem with that.

To be fair, we can almost improve on every part of the team, doesn't mean we have to start dropping people from the first team, especially when they've been playing well.

[Mostar]

I think the main problem isn't who is playing. We have played many different combinations at the back and nothing worked so far.

It's down to the manager and the system, not the players IMO.

It is all about finding the right balance between attack and defense something Rodgers hasn't done. We must be able to park the buss when we need to do it.

Just look at our defensive midfield. If you are big and strong then you can run straight through it. Happened time after time this season.

Without Lucas we would be **** in defensive midfield. With him we are much better but not good enough.

Our central defenders face players in full speed, that is a problem.

The rebuilding of our defense will be Rodgers main priority this summer. Get that right and we can challenge every club in the league. Get it wrong and he will probably be sacked.

That is IMO how important that job is for Rodgers.

Agree to some extent.

Last year Agger and Skrtel were the best CB pairing in PL and we were barely able to fend MC etc from getting either of them and this year they both looked terribly inconsistant.

I am not saying they don't deserve some criticism coz they do but our manager and his tactics also are very much responsible for our back 4 issues.

[Tee]

Agree to some extent.

Last year Agger and Skrtel were the best CB pairing in PL and we were barely able to fend MC etc from getting either of them and this year they both looked terribly inconsistant.

I am not saying they don't deserve some criticism coz they do but our manager and his tactics also are very much responsible for our back 4 issues.

Confidence is battered because we were consistently getting overrun in games earlier in the season when we persisted with a seriously **** midfield.

[Arn]

I don't see a problem benching Skrtel but this is IMO a big big problem.

Asked if Rodgers and he had talked about his axing from the side, he said: "Yes, we have but it is not ideal. He told me something on this, gave me some explanation, but it's hard to tell if it was the true reason he gave me.

"I don't think it was and think there is something else behind it.

If the players can't trust the manager telling the truth then he will lose the dressing room IMO.

Who do the players believe, Skrtel or Rodgers? If they believe Skrtel then Rodgers have a very big problem.

[Maxiedge]

Brendan Rodgers' man management has been terrible.

I mean look at the way he's turned Downing and Henderson into ****. He keeps insisting on playing Allen (manager's favourite) even though he's lost form. Gerrard is not the same player he was and Enrique has become cack again. He also got rid of our best striker who's now excelling at West Ham. He didn't give Charlie Adam much of a chance as well did he?? BIG mistake.

Chill, Arn.

[Arn]

Brendan Rodgers' man management has been terrible.

I mean look at the way he's turned Downing and Henderson into ****. He keeps insisting on playing Allen (manager's favourite) even though he's lost form. Gerrard is not the same player he was and Enrique has become cack again. He also got rid of our best striker who's now excelling at West Ham. He didn't give Charlie Adam much of a chance as well did he?? BIG mistake.

Chill, Arn.

I'm much more disappointed that Skrtel talked about something that should have been kept behind closed doors.

Now his "war" with the manager is out in the open.

I would sell him as soon as possible. You simply don't talk with the media about something like this, you simply don't. If Zenit is still interested, sell him.

[Reece]

Everything is such a drama with you, Arn

[RichC]

You never know maybe he's been misrepresented in the press, I know that almost never happens but perhaps it has here.

[Sarb]

The comments I have read from the likes of Reina, Gerrard, Suarez, Henderson etc indicates to me they like working under Rodgers and he's nowhere near losing the dressing room. They fought pretty hard last Thursday too

Bye, bye Skrtel. No major loss. At least we don't have to put up with him asking for a new deal every summer