Mamadou Sakho

[Rowan]

So a defender that dives in is a front foot defender? A defender that plays a high line is a front foot defender? What about a defender that harries but doesn't commit to the tackle? I think sky sports invented this front foot defender saying. It might actually of been Carra and Neville describing Lovren when we initially bought him.

I'm not denying that on times he does back off but I'd hazard a guess that it's not wanting to commit to the tackle against fast opposition. Sakho was dropping deep behind Skrtel yesterday too, no problems with that. The two worked great together and we got a well deserved clean sheet in a difficult fixture. Happy days.

If he's so bad as people suggest why have the last 5 managers had him as their first choice?

I can only assume it's some sort of sado masachistic exercise intended to pain both themselves AND the fans. Either that or they want to demonstrate their high level management abilities and get one over their peers by saying 'look. I'm so good I can win games even with Marty ****house in the team'.

Odd decent performance aside he's a total calamity. That said it was Sakho who busted out the idiot card yesterday with that humdinger he played across the back so neither can claim to be flawless. Still. The sooner we replace Skrtel with someone with brains and less clangerability the better!

[EwarWoo]

I can only assume it's some sort of sado masachistic exercise intended to pain both themselves AND the fans. Either that or they want to demonstrate their high level management abilities and get one over their peers by saying 'look. I'm so good I can win games even with Marty ****house in the team'.

Wow.

What an interesting planet you live on.

[baitman]

...I understand if some don't like Skrtel, each to their own but why can nobody answer me why under 5 different Liverpool managers Skrtel has been first choice?

dont get me wrong, i like skrtel, but i think managers have stuck with him as he has been less of a problem than the others around him.
this doesnt mean he is good enough, but he is just better than some of the other ballbags he has had around him.

if the other players are decent, clyne is a massive improvement at RB, then we might see less issues with skrtel. he still needs to know when to back off [if isolated] and when to challenge early [if a team mate can get in behind to cover] but hopefully the all seeing eyes of klopp will help sort this.

[Harv]

The thing with Skrtl (apart from backing off, getting bullied by big CF's and making rash tackles) he seems to really lack communication out there. He never looks like he's talking to others unless its shouting at them because he's made a gaff.

I wonder if Klopp can instil some confidence in Lovren and turn him into the CB we saw at Southampton

[danperkins]

dont get me wrong, i like skrtel, but i think managers have stuck with him as he has been less of a problem than the others around him.
this doesnt mean he is good enough, but he is just better than some of the other ballbags he has had around him.

if the other players are decent, clyne is a massive improvement at RB, then we might see less issues with skrtel. he still needs to know when to back off [if isolated] and when to challenge early [if a team mate can get in behind to cover] but hopefully the all seeing eyes of klopp will help sort this.

should be interesting to see how the defence gets on with the tough fixture list coming up. A regular selection and some continuity should be good for us.

[Fredo]

I'd be very surprised if he's still first choice next season.

[danperkins]

Maybe, maybe not. Whatever is best for the team i'm sure Klopp will decide.

[redmike65]

Skrtel is dead man backing off, at 31 he will not be first choice that's for sure. Howedes will or someone of his standing.

Anyway back to Ian, are we the stupid ones or is the media so blind that they cannot see what Sakho does and bring to the side?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34566259

A player who doesn't often get the plaudits he deserves is Mamadou Sakho. It was the Frenchman's performance - as opposed to the normally dependable Martin Skrtel - that stood out against Spurs. It will be interesting to see if Sakho can convince Klopp he's worth a long-term investment or whether, as I suspect, the German will try to attract a big-name signing, probably from his old club Borussia Dortmund.

Now even here Crooks praises him and yet calls Skrtel dependable. Maybe there is something about certain players - they hide in plain sight doing nothing badly enough to attract attention so the guy beside them gets all the negative notices even when he is better!

[Fosterbloke]

It's clearly an English mentality. They see Skrtel's pumping runs that break into an epic sliding tackle and think he's a brilliant defender. Um, there's a reason he had to do that!

Meanwhile, Sakho is positionally excellent and has an amazing pass completion rate (forward passing no less!) but goes unnoticed.

[Nicey]

Sakho is awesome, I love the directness in his passing out from the back, he seems like he has a mistake in him but rarely does. I think our lack of winning **** has coincided with Skirtel being our first choice CB, nowhere near good enough for what we need.

[Nicey]

It's clearly an English mentality. They see Skrtel's pumping runs that break into an epic sliding tackle and think he's a brilliant defender. Um, there's a reason he had to do that!

Meanwhile, Sakho is positionally excellent and has an amazing pass completion rate (forward passing no less!) but goes unnoticed.

never for me ... its the biggest part of his game ... it was like when Agger was part of the team ... his distribution genuinely went unnoticed. I look forward to seeing Sakho on the ball ... he always has his head up, he is extremely composed .. can beat a man and fires off very direct very powerful cutting passes with scream do something with this ****ing ball .. he is awesome .. everything you want in a CB .. brave, aggressive, calm when needed and bring the ball out

[Fosterbloke]

never for me ... its the biggest part of his game ... it was like when Agger was part of the team ... his distribution genuinely went unnoticed. I look forward to seeing Sakho on the ball ... he always has his head up, he is extremely composed .. can beat a man and fires off very direct very powerful cutting passes with scream do something with this ****ing ball .. he is awesome .. everything you want in a CB .. brave, aggressive, calm when needed and bring the ball out

But the media would wank themselves silly over Ferdinand over the same attributes. To be fair he was a very good player but Sakho provides a similar level to the team.

[Fierce]

dont get me wrong, i like skrtel, but i think managers have stuck with him as he has been less of a problem than the others around him.
this doesnt mean he is good enough, but he is just better than some of the other ballbags he has had around him.

if the other players are decent, clyne is a massive improvement at RB, then we might see less issues with skrtel. he still needs to know when to back off [if isolated] and when to challenge early [if a team mate can get in behind to cover] but hopefully the all seeing eyes of klopp will help sort this.

I don't think Skrtel is as bad as gets reported on here, but I don't think he'd be first choice at any clubs around or above us

[Alex]

I don't think Skrtel is as bad as gets reported on here, but I don't think he'd be first choice at any clubs around or above us

Skrtel is the most Spurs player we have.

Not a bad player, but not a world beater. Just Spurs.

[dww]

I think Skrtel's problem is largely about communication. I don't think anyone else takes the role either so we end up with a very individualistic defense, which isn't how the best units are formed.