Dejan Lovren

[mattyq]

Depends on funds available. If we've only got cash available for two or three top players (plus Keita) I'd rather us spend it providing depth further forward (and maybe a keeper) rather than on the back four.

Yup, agreed

We need to spend on a keeper, another midfielder and a forward

Lovren has been very good recently but... Spurs

[joe_fishfish]

Who was his CB partner at Southampton?

He was brilliant when he was there that's why we spent so much on him.

 

People are quick to give attackers fair judgement for playing badly in a team that doesn't suit their strengths, you could easily rattle off a long list of forwards that are universally rated as brilliant but at the same time say there's no point in us buying them because he wouldn't suit us/a klopp team.

 

The same might apply to defenders, but people don't see it that way.

The way I see it Lovren has some massive weaknesses but Virgils strengths can cancel them out, they can compliment each other without individually being world class, that's what this team is about isn't it?

 

The problem with Lovren is that he doesn't see it that way either. He's alright in a low block with a full back close to him, protected by at least two midfielders, when all he has to do is win the ball and get rid of it.

 

Anything beyond that he's a liability, but he's spent most of time here thinking he's David Luiz, constantly rushing out trying to beat strikers to balls he's never gonna get to and leaving the rest of the defence exposed.

[Trumo]

Who was his CB partner at Southampton?

He was brilliant when he was there that's why we spent so much on him.

 

I think it was either Fonte or Yoshida. I don't think they got Alderweireld until they sold Lovren. In any case, Southampton's defence sat deeper than ours does, and they played with a midfield tandem giving the defence extra protection. The set-up was different to what Lovren walked into at Liverpool, but that can be said of a number of our signings that summer *cough* Balotelli and Lambert *cough*

[INTORRESTING]

It was Fonte.

[G Richards]

Priorities for the summer:

 

Keita (done)

An attacker (to cover front three, so it’s 4 into 3 without a drop in level)

Another midfielder

 

 

A back up goalie

Usual smattering of talented kids

A central defender

[aRdja]

I'm not sure I have ever read fainter praise than 'he's on a par with Mustafi'.

Mustafi is a good defender but with a couple of mistakes in him. Not unlike David Luiz and Otamendi for example. They’re all good but not quite the level of Vertonghen, Azpilicueta, Van Dijk, etc.

[3 Stacks]

I think I've been slightly harsh with him because when he is bad he is so clearly atrocious. But when the play is in front of him and he is up to it mentally, he can put in a big performance.

 

He's a textbook 3rd CB who can do a job once in a while and I think he will outlast Matip because the latter clearly can't stay fit.

 

But he's made too many catastrophic mistakes for him to be our undisputed first team CB. Van Dijk clearly will need a better partner if we are to solidify ourselves at the top level.

[dave u]

Ox just killed him.

 

 

[Grinch]

No, just the ability to remember further back than last week for evidence of years of shit.

Indeed

[Funkasy]

He was extremely shit against Lukaku. When we lost there. Hes shit most games but with a few good ones every now and then.

[eeyore]

Thats brilliant from ox

[Dr Nowt]

I bet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (waaaay too stiff, anally retentive and repressed to let myself ever use that nickname) has made an immense contribution to the superb team spirit this year. 

 

Comes across as a class act as a bloke.

[The Guest]

The problem with Lovren is that he doesn't see it that way either. He's alright in a low block with a full back close to him, protected by at least two midfielders, when all he has to do is win the ball and get rid of it.

 

Anything beyond that he's a liability, but he's spent most of time here thinking he's David Luiz, constantly rushing out trying to beat strikers to balls he's never gonna get to and leaving the rest of the defence exposed.

I’m sorry but this is complete bollocks.

 

He’s a front foot defender and as has been said countless times by pretty much fucking everybody it’s clearly the way he’s being asked to play. Every so often he has these absolute meltdowns or makes a particularly bad mistake which he gets rightly absolutely slaughtered for. It’s reasonable to think you would want him replaced because of these meltdowns because they can seemingly come at any time.

 

What people then go and do though is criticise absolutely everything and anything he does and say things like he always shite and is constantly making mistakes or as you’ve put here is constantly trying to rush in front of the defender to get balls he can’t get. That clearly isn’t the case. If it was we would be conceding goals from his mistakes 3/4 times a game. We don’t. Barring the Utd game which you could debate wasn’t actually a mistake we haven’t conceded a goal due to an error from him since earlier on this season.

 

More often than not he’s a very good defender. What makes his case relatively strong is that we generally play wide open where he is left to defend in one on ones a lot of the time. He’s followed up his pretty solid form playing in that manner with two impeccable backs to the wall games (halves) against City and now suddenly he’s only a good defender when he’s doing this. Get your head out of your arse.

 

All this being said if Klopp thinks there is a better front footed defender out there I’d sign him or maybe even one not as good but just less error/meltdown prone. I imagine he doesn’t think there are many because when he waited for Van Dijk he wasn’t just saying there isn’t another Van Dijk he was as saying there isn’t another defender he would have over one of the current centre backs to partner Van Dijk.

[magicrat]

We could well get to see Dejan Lovren stepping out in a Liverpool shirt for the Champions League final. A sobering thought.

[TheHowieLama]

We could well get to see Dejan Lovren stepping out in a Liverpool shirt for the Champions League final. A sobering thought.

 

I look forward to adding that kit to my Traore collection

[aRdja]

The problem with Lovren is that he doesn't see it that way either. He's alright in a low block with a full back close to him, protected by at least two midfielders, when all he has to do is win the ball and get rid of it.

 

Anything beyond that he's a liability, but he's spent most of time here thinking he's David Luiz, constantly rushing out trying to beat strikers to balls he's never gonna get to and leaving the rest of the defence exposed.

And David Luiz is probably one of the worst high profile centre halfs I’ve seen in the league the fucking clown.

[J-V]

C

U

N

T

[bizzle10]

C

U

N

T

hahaha

[Bobby Hundreds]

I love klopp but his idea that we are all hysterical over lovren is nonsense. Lovren isn't very good.

[TheHowieLama]

Unfair -- but he is less good than the other good guys

[J-V]

He's fucking shite.  Time and time again he fucks up.  He doesn't even score from free headers to make amends the useless gimp.

[Herp McDerp]

Right, so by my calculations we're due another interview from this fucking quim on the eve of the final moaning about how unfairly he's been treated.

[KMD7]

He's just not consistent enough.  Has to be replaced for next season.  Squad player at best

[Strontium]

Lovren still shit. More on this breaking news at 11.

[Ne Moe Imya]

I have a theory about Lovren. He's a good defender, right up until he makes his first mistake of the night. 

 

If he goes through the game without making a serious mistake, then he's competent and solid. But make one mistake, and he goes to pieces. He tries to overcompensate for it by trying to step up and "take charge" or make a sublime interception or something.

 

Tonight was the perfect example. He was looking very good, totally solid, even if van Dijk was doing most of the heavy lifting. Then he kicks the ball against Schick and he just melts, mentally. After that, for that last 15 minutes he's shocking.

 

I think if Jurgen can just sub him as soon as he makes a big mistake, every time (whether or not it costs us a goal; tonight, his first error didn't), maybe he could be a decent defender for us.