I agree, if he can work like that for an hour and then we bring the likes of Can on we will do well. He knows he has a lot to do to stay in this team and be a Liverpool player and the lad wants it, really wants it I can't knock that.
I agree to some extent but as far as squad players go he is brilliant and just what we need. Every team needs squad players and they are sometimes the payers that win you trophies.
Only read couple of posts and turns out everyone slagging Allen off again. He can play **** every game if he wins a penalty and helps keep a clean sheet in a 3-0 win every time . Can't we just be happy and get behind him for a change?
It has been a good weekend, despite Gerrard being a liability these days, this was a pretty good team performance today. Yes, it is fortunate that Johnson got injured, but hopefully now, he will not get back into the team. I still don't see why there is this much persecution of Skrtel. His opta stats prove him to be one of the most influential players in the team. People see the odd slip and think his whole performance is at that level. I think today's clean sheet had more to do with Spurs inability to stick the ball away, as both our centre backs messed up more than once, they just got away with it, so anyone claiming the fact that Skrtel being absent equates to the clean sheet, need to get a better understanding of football in general. Note sure how I feel about the blandness of the last 15 minutes. part of me wanted more goals, while I was also able to enjoy how we just took the sting out of the game. But overall, I did want to see more once we brought Can & Markovic on. I wanted to see us take the piss a little. This week, I would make Sterling watch the game back and point out the options he misses when going into the goal, he can be too greedy and also miss the better option available to him, but he is only 19, and I have no real issue with his game, he just needs to learn the skills to make him world class, which centre on his choices in the box, when he has the ball at his feet. Pity Balo didn't get his usual brace in his first game, but I saw enough from him to solidify my confidence in buying him. What difference could he had made last week?
Ironic you say that people need to get a better understanding of football then claim Skrtel is one of the best defenders in your team (and the league which you've said in the past" purely based on Opta stats
You mean like we tried to do against Palace? That went well didn't it. It's a sign of the teams maturity that we did shut up shop for the last 15 minutes. They were badly hurt by the Palace result and being cocky and 'taking the piss' has a nasty way of backfiring on you. 3-0 away ....FFS what more do people want!
I speak for myself and not Noblelox here, but there's nothing wrong with saying what didn't go well in a performance, even if it comes with a win. Do you think Rodgers goes back to the training ground the next day and tells them that everything was honky dory and there's nothing more to work on? As fans, we too should be able to say what was good and what wasn't good in our performance. It's how teams continually progress and it gives us something to talk about. By all means, if you want, bury heads in the sand and sing that it was brilliant because a win's a win, but there were problems in our game today which make for good talking points - and it's not being negative or critical, nor is it being unhappy with the result. PS, I note that others have had such a reaction to posters here, not just you. It's a football discussion forum, to discuss, you know, football. Otherwise, we might as well just have a poll thread on whether we're happy with a win and three points - yes or no with no comments - then close the thread and look ahead to the next game.
There is nothing wrong with it. However, picking on the same players after every game despite the result is a little cringy to say the least.
Whereas some people just take a dislike to somebody despite the stats and the evidence of their own eyes combined.
TBF, I think it's just the "people need to get a better understanding of football" that wind people up. People obviously have a difference of opinion when it comes to Skrtel
Has anyone been on the Spurs board? Are they in #meltdown after their title challenge instantly evaporated (well, 8 minutes) upon playing their first good opponents?
My opinion on Skrtel is based on what I see. Stats don't measure how many times a defender backs off allowing a player to shoot. Stats don't measure how many times he may lose a player or cause a nervous breakdown by committing fouls in the area at set pieces which somehow aren't punished (heard Lovren got away with one today as well ) Stats measure his passing rate to an opponent, but don't measure whether it was the right pass, if that pass then put that player under pressure and loses the ball because of it (stats actually could measure this, but no one I know of does, only their own pass completion). I could quite easily play in a side and get a pass completion of 95% every game by sitting there getting the ball and just passing it to my CB or RB, whether they are then put in trouble or not wouldn't matter to that stat. Doesn't make me comfortable on the ball though.
As you know, I don't like using stats either. I watch the player but what I see with Skrtel is a player willing to attack the ball and a excellent sweeper to cover for FBs that have ventured forward. I do understand what you're saying but I think Skrtel's inclusion depends on two thinks; who his partner will be and who we are playing.
Good game and a clean sheet. I'd take that 7 days a week. Spurs did worse than I thought they would. They hadn't played any decent teams but thought they'd play better than they did. Looking forward to the next game, TBH. Moreno showed his class and Balotelli showed his potential. And a clean sheet, too, despite some shaky moments - It wouldn't be us if there weren't shaky moments, though! Arsenal drew, and Man City lost. We won.
