2018/19 Season Report Card - Dejan Lovren

A stop start season for Big Dejan. He came back injured from the World Cup and couldn’t get back in the side due to the form of Joe Gomez. 

When he did get his chance he played well enough but was never able to get a long run in the team because there was always something going on. An illness here, a little hamstring pull there, just minor stuff that disrupted his rhythm.

It was in stark contrast to a year ago when he was a fixture in the side alongside Big Virg and was arguably our best player (along with Robbo) in the Champions League final loss to Madrid.

Lovren’s star was in the ascendancy, especially when he followed it up with an impressive World Cup campaign that saw Croatia reach the final. Poor Dejan lost a Champions League final and a World Cup final in the space of a couple of months. His reputation was as high as it had ever been though, and when he described himself as “top five” in the world it wasn’t as ludicrous as many seemed to think.

He’s much derided due to that claim, but I’m one of the few who felt that his boast wasn’t that outlandish at the time he made it. Based on his form in 2018, when he performed well in some extremely high profile games for club and country, he was one of the best. 

Since then he’s hardly played, and he’s now number four at his own club. Things can change quickly though, we’ve seen that. Besides, being number four at Liverpool doesn’t mean he’s no longer top five in the world. It just means Matip and Gomez have joined him in that elite group.

Seriously though, I like him. He’s a character, he keeps Mo entertained and his Instagram rant about Sergio Ramos after Croatia played Spain was legendary. In case you’d forgotten, after beating Spain 3-2 Lovren grabbed his phone and went off on one….

“Elbowed him good,” said Lovren, citing a challenge on Ramos during the game, while making a gesture with his elbow. “Haha! 3-2! Go ahead and talk now, buddy. Buddy! They are a bunch of pussies.”

He then proceeded to cover the Spain flag on his match jersey, while pointing at the Croatia flag, and continued: “Only this side [Croatia] is worthy. Now to beat England and walk out like a boss!”

Lovren also posted a picture of himself getting the better of Ramos in an aerial challenge during the game, accompanied by the message: “Good morning Croatia”.

I mean come on, that’s funny as fuck. I can imagine Klopp’s reaction when he heard about it. There’s no point even getting worked up about it, he probably just rolled his eyes, shook his head and said “fuckin’ Dejan”.

He cracks me up. When we beat Barca he did one of the post-match interviews even though he didn’t even play! You’d never know if he played in a game or not based on his celebrations, as he’s going to be the life and soul of it no matter what.

I saw some rival fans on social media comparing him to John Terry after the way he was right at the heart of the celebrations when we won number six, but unlike Terry (who was suspended) Lovren was on the bench so was entitled to be wearing full kit (and shinnies!).

Besides, the reason he enjoyed it so much was because he was part of the side that lost a year before. He referenced that in the interview he did after Barca and he also spoke about the need for those not in the team to put that disappointment to one side and be supportive. 

“I’m so happy for the team. I felt it last year. I saw how the guys who didn’t play were smiling. It’s my turn now to give them a boost, to give them confidence. I’m proud of them for reaching the final.”

That’s one of the most impressive things Klopp has done but it’s also one of the least talked about. Everyone in that squad feels like they are important, whether they are in the team or not. It’s easy to laugh at those who didn’t play when you see them giving it the beans, but this isn’t a Josemi type situation. Klopp is forever telling them all how important they are and they’ve bought into it.

It’s a squad, not a team, and they’re all in it together irrespective of who makes the starting eleven.

The best part about that Lovren interview though was when he was asked about whether the team could go one better than last year. “We will. Trust me.” He didn’t even know who we playing at that point, but it mattered not. He even doubled down on it a few seconds later when the final was brought up again and he said “We will do it. Trust me”.

And he was right. There was a time when a Lovren brag would almost certainly end in embarrassment (usually his) but not any more. We now have a team and manager who can back up Dejan’s bravado. Some would suggest that it’s also because he’s not playing, but that’s just mean.

Rating 7 / 10

Possibly a little generous, but he celebrates like a boss and that counts for something.

Best Moment:

Savaging Ramos on Instagram or dragging Hendo over to the fans after the final and yelling “This is the fucking man! This is your captain!”

Worst Moment:

Making Rondon look like prime time Didier Drogba.

The Future:

Is uncertain. There’s talk that he’s available for £25m and AC Milan are interested. Maybe the Reds will want to get his 100k a week off the wage bill considering he’s fourth choice, but the smart move is probably to keep him around for another year while Ki-Jana Hoever develops.

As long as Lovren is happy to fight for his place, then let him stay. He’s a big part of the incredible team spirit in the camp, as he’s often the butt of his team-mates jokes but he takes it all in good spirit and gives as good as he gets. Matip and Gomez have had injury problems, we’ve got a shitload of games next year, so for me Lovren needs to stay as he has a part to play.