Mamadou Sakho

[danperkins]

It's not just communication and the lack of consistency Dan. Its been way off for a long time now and they've been training and playing together for years now so I don't see how you can still use this as an excuse.

Go on admit it. The defence doesn't have the talent it needs to be successful.

Along with your point that you drive home most games the midfield is also not strong enough but we do need better personnel in front of Mig.

Players need games together mate, training is all well and good but game time together for a CB pairing is crucial. It's the an area on the pitch where you will pay for your mistakes if things aren't working right. We haven't had a "unit" back there in years. Under Rodgers we rarely picked the same back line and the personnel he was picking was sub standard e.g. Johnson, Enrique, Lovren. Sakho and Skrtel showed in a run of about 10 games last season that they can form a good partnership and sure then Lovren was forced back into the team. Give the two time in the middle together and I think we ll see more consistent performances. 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? I just like the Sakho / Skrtel partnership, others may disagree.

Last season the midfield was a huge issue with the way he was playing Stevie and this season we really lack a leader in the midfield. I'm hoping Can will turn into a player under Klopp but I didn't think he was as good as others thought. Lumbered around the pitch and seems a jack of all trades, master of none. Can needs to find an identity as a player. Personally I'd like to see him played a but more but that's just me. Anyways I'm going off topic.

[Fredo]

Skrtel won't be first choice next season. Get over it Dan.

[SB]

good player but always has one or two of those in a game. I like him though, composed on the ball and always looks for a forward pass. Him and Skrtel will do well together long term IMO.

We played very narrow and were reliant on the fullbacks to push very high, IMO both fullbacks pushing so high left us very open and had Skrtel & Sakho drifting out in the wider areas to cover. Not a fan of any CB getting isolated so far out but both did well.

Well everyone is fit (god only knows when that will be) I don't think we'll play so narrow and hopefully won't be too reliant on the fullbacks. Clyne looked a wee bit uncomfortable going forward today and left us exposed on that right side a few times too many. Both Clyne's and Moreno's distribution high up the pitch was very poor and set us on the back foot. Tough one for Klopp, he did what he could with lack of time and injuries and it was a good point.

Be interesting to see what he does with more options available, but I hope he keep to the Skrtel/Sakho pairing.. no doubts he will Some may disagree, but I think they compliment each other nicely and with our backline actually playing together for a few games in a row instead of the incessant chopping and changing under Rodgers.... hopefully they can improve communication and become a good unit. Tough fixtures coming up so there's no forgiveness in there unfortunately.




Skrtel backs off on times when quick player running at him, that's a given but every other time he is on the front foot. If anything he can be accused of being over zealous or rash. Always first in to a challenge, one of the most aggressive CB's in the league and always competes, saying he doesn't attack the ball is just simply untrue. He played much higher up the pitch today, got the better of Kane whom the way people where going on about is a totally mediocre striker, when the truth is he is one of the most physical, workmanlike strikers in the league. He's not been prolific this season but he does not give CB's an easy day.

This thing of Skrtel not being a front foot defender is a complete an utter myth. What does that even mean? Lovren was supposedly a front foot defender, it turns out he's not he's just a headless chicken. Hummels supposedly a front foot defender, the guy just has horrible positional sense for a defender. I don't get exactly how not wanting to commit yourself against an attacker can be considered not aggressive or not a front foot defender? Maybe over cautious?

Skrtel can be indecisive when a quick player is running at him so he tends to back off and it can be frustrating, Sakho is prone to a hospital ball in most games i've seen him play and considering his distribution is very good that's annoying...... so what no CB is perfect. Sakho made some errors in the first half and Skrtel made some errors in the first half, largely both were very good though & both were rock solid in the second half. What is interesting is people ripped into Skrtel but yet hardly said a word about Sakho.

We haven't had a settled backline in years, that's the truth mate. I've been saying this for quite some time now. Johnson was poor for years, Lovren is a disaster, Mig has been up and down, Reina was poor for a few years before he left, Agger was permanently injured & we haven't had a decent LB in god knows how long. Our defence has been all over the shop for years. Skrtel has been first choice under several different managers, people say he's the common denominator.... so what exactly does that say about the judgement of those managers if apparently he's a **** CB? Will he make mistakes? Yup, so does every CB. Will he back off on occasion? Yup. But all in all, he's a good CB IMO. He's not a world beater but the criticism he gets by several people on here is way over the top.

Oh and someone mentioned Carra saying about Skrtel dropping off. Remember this is the same Carra who praised Lovren for being a front foot defender, one of the best in the league who will improve LFC at the back. Then a few months later him and Neville realised that when they actually bothered to look at the footage of Lovren at Southampton... shocker.. he was making the exact same mistakes there as he has done here.

You've answered your own question. He backs off most of the time from half way until the attacker gets a shot off. What's the point ? He's better off fouling the guy near half way some times instead of backing off all the time.

[danperkins]

You've answered your own question. He backs off most of the time from half way until the attacker gets a shot off. What's the point ? He's better off fouling the guy near half way some times instead of backing off all the time.

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?

[Chris]

You've answered your own question. He backs off most of the time from half way until the attacker gets a shot off. What's the point ? He's better off fouling the guy near half way some times instead of backing off all the time.

Some of the excuses, hypocrisy and contradictions are comical.

[SB]

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.

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?

But it's more than at times as you suggested. It's nearly all of the time. He's ok but no better than that IMO. We should be looked no to upgrade him soon.

[danperkins]

But it's more than at times as you suggested. It's nearly all of the time. He's ok but no better than that IMO. We should be looked no to upgrade him soon.

Maybe it is a part of his game that can improve I'm not denying that mate , definitely last season crept into his game more. I'd just like to see him play beside a partner he trusts. If we can sign a top class defender then happy days but until then we are stuck with what we have, which is nowhere near as much as some have made out. We just need a settled back line, like any other side we need a consistent selection.

[SB]

Maybe it is a part of his game that can improve I'm not denying that mate , definitely last season crept into his game more. I'd just like to see him play beside a partner he trusts. If we can sign a top class defender then happy days but until then we are stuck with what we have, which is nowhere near as much as some have made out. We just need a settled back line, like any other side we need a consistent selection.

Sakho's name goes on the team sheet before Martins does these days IMO. I believe his name could be in the envelope.

[Reece]

[ame]https://twitter.com/WhoScored/status/655684810375954432[/ame]

[Shaggy]

He's bloody excellent. To think Brendan couldn't even find room for him on the bench at the start of the season.

[G]

He had 3 spurs lads around him at one point yesterday but instead of a panicked headed clearance most CB's would undertake he took the high ball down on his chest and laid of a nice pass that got us moving forward again. He's ****ing great.

[Patricks_Berger]

Sakho looked like a man whose ready to take his opportunity. Must know that he's finally gonna get a fair crack of the whip now Brendan's gone. I think he's gonna step up.

[Fierce]

I'm not sure either of them has the intelligence I'd like to see in a central defender

[G]

My biggest worry with him is staying fit.

[DannyMan2006]

I'm not sure either of them has the intelligence I'd like to see in a central defender

I think none of our defenders compliment one another. We need to sign someone who's happy to drop and read the game.