It certainly is sudden. 6 months ago, people wanted to try Agger and Sakho. Now, they are happy to see Agger leave and Skrtel stay. Nothing close to 2.5 years...
There's a difference between wanting to try him because Skrtel was in poor form and considering him the best defender at the club/in the league
And like I said 2 years is a long time in football. Torres went from being one of the worlds best, to championship standard. I was one of many that wanted Agger to play ahead of Skrtel but mainly because I don't rate Skrtel despite his perceived good season (still think he cost us more goals than he saved). Agger was a good defender 2 years ago but he's not improved when the team has. He was a good defender in a team trying to get into top 4. But I don't think he's good enough in areas I've mentioned already to be playing in a CL team in the Prem. He's one if my favs, not sure why, just seems like a likeable guy who had LFC in his heart, but for £10m we'd have to sell as he's a squad player who is injury prone and pushing 30.
Skertl in all fairness played really well last year and IMO a lot better than the year he got club poty But in the end it's two of three so sahko and lovern will have to force him out won't they Toure and agger should be gone so ilori has a small chance in cups or with injuries All in all times change and you have to try to push towards the top so buying two expensive cbs rightly or wrongly is how you do that to try We could stick until both agger and Skertl are 32/33 like distin and when jagielka is headed if we just want top half
I love the guy, don't want him to leave. He always loved the club and gave his best years to us. He is a good defender and I think vastly underrated by many. So many of the errors he made were from a combination of Skrtel's poor positioning or Gerrard's lack of defensive movement. Yes he made mistakes but so did everyone this season. We kept most of our clean sheets with him in the squad IIRC. He's a leader by example and I hope he ends up staying. He should be 3rd choice, and seeing how all of the defenders around him are injury prone we may need him more than Rodgers wants this season. I'd sell Kolo and Coates. That would leave us with Sakho and Lovren as our main partnership, with Agger and Skrtel staying on the bench and ready to play in cups and Europe. Ilori getting some game time too. Skrtel is flashy and makes a ton of goal-line clearances - but that's because he's always making a mistake in the first place. He looks good because he cleans up his own mess. Like it has been mentioned, I think he costs us more goals than he saves. He's a great backup but Agger over him any day for me. 10m isn't enough for me. He's not worth more but he's worth that to stay and be part of the team. At the same time it seems that he isn't happy anymore and at the end of the day I'm sure it's up to him.
I'd rather he goes and plays at barca and delivers there so he'd always be a legend. Bob paisley has said never let them age on your pitch. I feel in terms of the prem agger needs a good run to get up to speed and so needs to play which i can't see. So go on your terms i say.
Can't see Skrtel staying for the long term, I'd say another season or two. Rodgers looked to get rid last year, he had a decent season (a few too many deflections and own goals). But out of Agger and Skrtel, Skrts is more consistent and less injury prone. Makes sense to keep Skrts for another season, you don't want to make too many changes to a defensive line in one summer (Johnson aside who should be drop kicked out of the club as soon as possible)
he also scored a bunch and when he is making last ditch come on at least he's trting to stop the goals. Skertl is reliable but yeah if he was sold for 10-15mil i'd do it for age as well. but i'd also have to qualify by saying kolo and coates out first. I still see a hell of a fight between sahko, skertl and lovern for the two slots and PRAY rodgers doesn't bottle it and pick all 3.
I like Agger, he loves the club but he's injury prone and for whatever reason is not favoured by Rodgers so isn't getting game time and after our buys I predict even less so in the next year so I'd rather he went and rediscovered his career then stay and get angry on our bench.
If anything, he's hugely over rated! So many wanted him in their XI selections for the last two years whilst bemoaning Skrtel being in the team. He can't defend, constantly gets beaten one on one, awful from set pieces regularly loosing his man and pretty weak in the air. Skrtel isn't immense, but at least he can defend, put his head in, doesn't often get beaten one on one and tries to make up for any mistakes he makes. His passing is nowhere close to being as bad as people make out. Without question he should be third pick. I don't think all defenders need to be communicators, organisers or leaders. It's ok to just be a good defender who needs someone next to him to control things. Henchoz and Hyypia were a great partnership and Skrtel is very much like Henchoz. I also disagree on the flashy defending thing. Practically all partnerships have that one player who calls every ball and gets in the right spot to clear the danger. Terry, Carragher, Kompany and Vidic have all been that player in the last decade whilst their partner (usually) took a back seat and did the unnoticed marking or blocking which is just as crucial. Someone has to leave their man and attack the ball - that's just a strength of Skrtel since Agger can't header for s**t (he can't mark his man either though...). Goal line clearances are similar; someone needs to be the dominating CB and go back to clear out the danger whether they made a mistake or someone else did and leave the marking or blocking to their partner. Difference is that usually the dominating defender will call out what's going on but Skrtel isn't a natural leader and probably doesn't call it. At least he's trying though and you can never fault a trier. Maybe the other defender should give it a go instead... My views are the same that they've been for years. Agger is ok but hugely over rated mostly because he's just a vocal and passionate LFC fan with tattoos to boot and occasionally ventures up to their 18yard to blast a shot over. Skrtel is good but needs someone next to him to lead and organise the whole defensive line which shouldn't be seen as in insult, some people just aren't great leaders or organisers. I'm also really excited about Sakho and Lovren though because I've wanted them (not necessarily as a partnership) at Liverpool for years. They're both comfortable on the ball, both leaders, both big and powerful and both young to continue developing.
Never rated Skrtel, far too accident prone. I want Sakho and Lovren to create the partnership but not before Skrtel and Sakho play and one of them make a mistake.
Yup, all will be gone shortly, along with Reina. Gerrard will be retiring and we really will be rid of the Rafa / '05 CL winners.
I'm sure you will have seen me say this over the last couple of years but I think that is best for all TBH. I fully expect to see Reina (obviously), Johnson, Skrtel, Agger (Obviously) and Lucas leave within the next twelve months.
There's shed loads of posts about Agger being boss, in all sorts of threads. But of course it never happened, you all thought he was a liability - the minute he's ****ed off to Barca.
Lovren is a big unit,as they say. But one thing that stands out for me about him is his mobility,he gets around the pitch effortlessly for a big man. On Agger,agree with many.Was a decent defender,on the wane,get rid. The forearm smash on Torres will live long in the memory
Feel free to point out where someone as claimed that Tobes. Only one person casting an accusation of a single joint opinion around here and it's not someone in red
