Martin Skrtel

[McDermotX]

Spot on.

A load of people won't see it but he is a constant issue and has been for ages.

United may be '****' but they can defend and win a game we cannot and the constant over the last few years has been Skrtel.

But there's been a few constants down the years hasn't there over the same time ?
I think the biggest one is that we're really not as good as we think and we generally have players of a 5th-7th place standing ably supported by a parent organization under various guises of similar outlook and expectation.

Back in the summer, I asked for names of realistic, quality targets for CB and get next to no suggestions, people were probably burned by finding out what 20m actually gets you in defence these days. Let's chuck another 20m at it in the same playing setup and I'd guarantee a similar result to what we see these days.

[danperkins]

Yup, love the scapegoating of people and offering absolutely no realistic suggestions. Few said Gomez, I think we have seen how naive he can be and that it will take him time. Crazy suggesting putting this kid in at CB.

Rodgers hasn't been able to setup a defence since he came here. Skrtel is the one constant in the back line... That there is the problem. We need to stop chopping and changing and play the same back line. It's quite obvious the Sakho should be in there ahead of Lovren but it's just not going to happen. Personally at left back I think we need better than Gomez and Moreno.

I really liked the Skrtel / Sakho partnership. I do think people over rate Sakho on here but he streets ahead of Lovren.

[BootRoom]

We finished 2nd in 08/09 (Skrtel made 21 appearances), then Sami Hyypia left. The rest is history....

[Maxiedge]

We won't progress until we get rid of Skrtrl and Mignolet. They can't be the core/spine of our team.

[Chris]

He's dreadful, spends his entire time dropping off and giving players space to attack; done it since he's been with us and it's never going to change.

Bloke works his arse off and that's fair enough but he's nowhere near good enough

Yep, it's weird the excuses for him. So far it's been Agger's fault, changing partners fault, Mignolets fault, Sakho's fault, Toures fault, Gerrard's fault, now it's the whole midfield. And the customary "he was good apart from costing us a goal" posts after 25 games a season!! ****ing hell. The blokes just a bit ****, it happens but Christ, get him out of the team Brendan!

Wouldn't mind the excuses so much if the same people hadn't happily hammered Sakho, Agger, Toure, Lovren, Johnson and now Clyne and Gomez over the years.

[Chazza]

He's a liability end of.

Look at every defensive performance over the last few years and you will see him making mistakes time and time again. Mostly he digs himself out or makes a last ditch tackle to which most go brilliant, amazing, I'm blinded by his head and his stunning tattoos.

But in reality he is average and we would be better off with Ashley Williams at least he can ****ing organise.

[G]

He's not "the" problem but he's one of many. If you can't see that I fear for your sanity.

[danperkins]

Question for you guys... Name a few better CBs than Skrtel last season? Maybe take put Terry and Cahill.. Whom both made a lot of mistakes too.

Edit: and both were babysat by Matic all season long.

[dom9]

Question for you guys... Name a few better CBs than Skrtel last season? Maybe take put Terry and Cahill.. Whom both made a lot of mistakes too.

Me.

[Saveloy]

Me.

I thought Colin was more solid than you, in the Windmill Hill league at least.

[Chazza]

You are triffic to be fair.

[dom9]

I thought Colin was more solid than you.

To be fair, to be fair, he was.

You are triffic to be fair.

Blushes.

[McDermotX]

So Ashley Williams ? The butt of many jokes in this place down the years especially since Rodgers took over.

Interesting the point about last-ditch tackles. Williams done a great one in that match against ManU with Rooney a couple weeks back if I remember correctly..............after having made the mistake of letting Rooney get around him on the ball bounce.

In truth, most goals can be attributed to defensive errors of some type, whether it's Skrtel, Terry, Fonte, Williams, Mertesacker, Carra, Agger, Hyppia, Campbell, Adams etc etc etc, but we need to be objective about the reasons and causes behind the goals we concede. I've always maintained if we can improve on any player we have in the squad, we should, but the truth is, a CB of proven-PL level like Skrtel is probably about where we're at, as he's our consistently-best CB.
Drop another CB in there and I honestly believe we'll see similar issues with the side as long as we continue to be weak in possession, weak in pressing, all over the place in midfield and isolated in attack. Even bringing in Sakho for Lovren at this stage won't change us enough for my liking, we'll be just as ponderous and delayed at the back - though we would hopefully see less positional errors and strength in the challenge, but ridiculous ideas like Gomez or Toure paired with Sakho in a new CB pairing would be a recipe for disaster IMO.

[Chazza]

You can organise a back four alright.

[danperkins]

Yup, full of **** people slagging him off, I love it not one ****ing answer between the lot. After Terry and Cahill he was the best CB in the league last season and that's without Matic doing all the donkey work in front of them . Chap works his bollox off, wears his heart on his sleeve and has been covering a whole array a different defenders placed beside him over the years. A consistent back line doesn't exist at LFC. Square peg, round hole. Rodgers simply cannot sort out a defence.

Ashley Williams for all the slagging off we've gave him is a decent CB. People are waiting for the next Baresi but the CB position is a very unforgiving position. Like last season, sort the midfield mess out and things will look much better.

Skrtel is a scapegoat... He could put in ten world class performances and then make one mistake and this thread would be bouncing. He only makes blocks, clearances and last ditch tackles... That's what he's supposed to do!

Name alternatives?