Post match QPR

[Best Believe It]

I'm beginning to wonder if Skrtel has something of the "big-time Charlie" about him. In pressure games he can sometimes be immense - he's the only CB I ever saw outmuscle Drogba in his pomp, he was one player who did OK when we scraped past Cardiff in the Carling Cup Final and he won his battle with Costa when Slovakia beat Spain recently.

Agger did that once as well (though I think he also had at least one game where Drogba dominated him). I think Skrtel is capable of winning the individual duals, but his overall concentration/awareness is not good enough. The way we play risks defenders getting isolated so you need centre backs who are switched on to everything all the time. I don't get the sense that he is.

 

[rurikbird]

A couple of interesting stats about our back line from from Squawka:

Enrique – 56% of successful passes. Do I need to say more? This was definitely the single worst performance by a Liverpool full-back this season.

Lovren – 8/12 aerial duels won. Against Bobby Zamora: won 6 out of 9. Not exactly "being dominated by Zamora," was he?

Skrtel – 0 successful tackles (0/2). But he did have 1 blocked shot and 2 interceptions.

 

[Judge Jules]

It wasn't quite the same with Agger. The game where Drogba monstered him came first - Agger tried to take him on physically, and failed. The next time he was far more fly about it and concentrated on getting ahead of Drogba to cut out the long balls aimed at him. It worked well, because Agger was game-savvy enough to make it work, but he'd never have been able to take Drogba on in a physical contest and best him the way Skrtel did.

We do need to improve at CB though. It's pretty clear how much hope Brendan has invested in Lovren to be key in making that happen and that worries me a bit, because Lovren himself as a newcomer needs time to bed in. Rurik makes a good point about the aerial duels, but Zamora was pushing Lovren (and Skrtel) around at will on the deck.

 

[peterhague]

I think there's a lot of people who just won't admit that Lovren is struggling.

He's costing us goals and chances in virtually every match. Anyone could see he struggled mightily with Zamora on Sunday, stats tell about 10% of the real story.

 

[Best Believe It]

I think there's a lot of people who just won't admit that Lovren is struggling.

He's costing us goals and chances in virtually every match. Anyone could see he struggled mightily with Zamora on Sunday, stats tell about 10% of the real story.

Zamora bullied him, certainly, and our team as a whole is getting bullied each game at the moment. Lovren was always going to need to make a step up. Part of the problem all our defenders face is the change in personnel.

I think the difference in terms of Lovren maybe not getting the criticism Skrtel is, is that we've seen all this before from Martin. It's understandable to give Lovren more slack because he did so well for Southampton last year.

 

[StevieM]

When's Sakho back?

I still think Lovern & Sakho will develop into a decent partnership.

Sakho is the one to add the physicality to the defence.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Maybe I'm wrong but would it not have been better for Skrtel to mark Zamora on Sunday?

 

[Judge Jules]

I don't think you're wrong. Brendan doubtless had his reasons for setting up as he did, but they're a mystery to me. Zamora did actually push Skrtel around at times as well, but that was when he had momentum while Skrtel was stretching to cover. Had they matched up head to head I'd have expected things to turn out differently.

 

[Judge Jules]

When's Sakho back?

I still think Lovern & Sakho will develop into a decent partnership.

Sakho is the one to add the physicality to the defence.

Problem with that is they're both left-sided and prefer to play accordingly. One can argue that shouldn't make a difference, but it does whether we like it or not.

 

[Hansern]

A couple of interesting stats about our back line from from Squawka:

Enrique – 56% of successful passes. Do I need to say more? This was definitely the single worst performance by a Liverpool full-back this season.

Lovren – 8/12 aerial duels won. Against Bobby Zamora: won 6 out of 9. Not exactly "being dominated by Zamora," was he?

Skrtel – 0 successful tackles (0/2). But he did have 1 blocked shot and 2 interceptions.

This. I saw the Lovren stats but didnt bother posting them as the debate is a bit pointless these days.
He has suddenly turned to shite and we (I) cant use the fact that he was bloody good last season.
He was bullied in the start of the game but I thought he performed much better as the game went on. He certainly wasnt the worst player in our defence. And most players would look bad when you have Enrique fucking up beside you. Johnson was also very poor.
The Friedel comment about Skrtel constantly dropping off must be a nightmare for both keeper and the rest of the defence.

Its something fundementally wrong with how we set up and how we deal with crosses and our whole defensive strategy. I'm guessing Rodgers doesnt foucs on it in training and it shows.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

@Hansern

You really thought GlenJo was poor on Sunday?