Faith In Skrtel Is Paying Off

http://thekop.liverpoolfc.tv/_Faith-In-Skrtel-Is-Paying-Off/blog/5706378/173471.html

Good blog from Tony Barret.

“I didn't start well either in the FA Cup tie against Havant,” Skrtel recalled earlier this week. “After this I just wanted to try and show that I was good enough to play for Liverpool and I have worked at that. I knew the people were talking about me, saying thathttp://www.not606.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=21 I wasn't good enough for Liverpool and that the club had paid a lot of money for me. For me it was important that Rafa Benitez said to me 'Don't worry about this game. Look ahead to the next game, I will give you a chance and you have to show you are a better player’.”

Skrtel is benefitting from the belief that has been shown in him by others but he is also reaping the rewards of his own determination to improve and that combination means the football public now have a very different perception of him to their initial one. “Of course, I can see people look at me in a different way now to how they were looking at me before and I am happy about that,” he said. “There were doubts about me and I could see that they didn't think I wasn't consistent. I would do okay in one game and then in another game I wouldn’t do so well. They were undecided about me so I hope I have show in the last year that I am good enough and that I can play for Liverpool.”

 

Skrtel's partnership with Agger is developing really well. I just hope they can both steer clear of serious injury.
Good on him to get his head down and graft when he knew he was being criticized.

 

For me this season he's been a top 3 defender in the EPL. Some of the last ditch tackles and ninja style goal line clearances have been incredible.

In terms of professionalism and work ethic he's up there with Lucas, both went through long periods of criticism and have come out as club stars.

The man is simply a beast.

I hope he keeps his form, I suspect he will as Steve Clarke puts a lot of time and effort in training with defenders, and he's probably one of the best coaches in the game in that regard.

 

skertl is in a position that is good for him.

He is simply not a dominating centre half and add to that the fact that he is not on the correct side of the pitch.... well lets just say skertl is playing in a carragher role sweeping up in behind agger who is attacking the ball... becasue he's on the right he is passing it better and not looking like a donkey.

the last ditch stuff looks heroic and all that but thats not the main part of the game, he's able to sit in behind agger who's going and doing a great job and clean up the scraps and this is what carrgher did with hyppia.

the important thing for me is the partnership... this is why both men are doing well. For me btw, skertl could go the same with coates as well, kelly would do well to watch and learn like skert envyously looked at carragher clearing up as he himslef struggled trying to go win those headers.

 

Yes I agree with all of this, he has been very good this season I alway's thought there was a good player in Agger if he could keep injury free but I never thought we would talking about Skrtel as one of the best defender's in the league and that's what he has been this season.