Liverpool FC Forum

maguskwt wrote:If we want to play Skrtel and be solid at the back we need to play 3 centre backs with 2 wingbacks. I think Kenny tried it a few times last season and we didn't concede at all. Skrtel is quite ok as a last man 'sweeper'. I was even wondering why Kenny reverted to flat back 4 again...

The Good Yank wrote:I think Skrtel gets a bit of a bad rap and I think it's all a bit knee jerk.  If you think about the player , on his own, he isn't as bad as many posts about him state.  If you think of the context of what he was supposed to be to the team last season, and what he ended up being, is where I think there needs to be a bit of leniency.

Skrtel entered last season as our 3rd center half.  He'd had some very good performances in the past and we all lamented his knee injury V City back in 08.  He was a tall physical CB that could provide some depth along the backline.  He was a bit prone to ball watching and seemed a bit slowin his reactions to counter attacks.

Fast forward a couple of seasons and he is still that same player.  Yes he hasn't improved to what we would hope to be.  But keep in mind in his early years he was cover.  Last season he played every minute of every match in the Prem.  If we were to get another CB such as Dann or Cahill, I'd be very comfortable with having Skrtel as our #3 or 4 CB, which is what he is supposed to be.  Don't give the guy too much stick because he was forced into a role that he was never meant to take on.

Ya I agree.  I feel he has this loyalty to LFC like he understands how the clubs works better than most.  He has very solid games sometimes and can cause problems in the opposite box.  He scares the hell out of me sometimes because I think he'll give away a pen, but he never seems to.  Apparently he's very good at getting away with it.  His man does not score very often on corners, that's for sure.

He's my girlfriend's favorite player because she thinks he's cute.

Says a lot about me I guess 

metalhead wrote:This is what I see in Skrtel

He isn't tactically aware because he ball watches a lot, he isn't as commanding as Carragher or read the game well as Carra. He isn't a good footballer, he always looks to hoof the ball rather than give the right pass or play it simple ala hyppia and Agger. He lacks composure and starts panicking when he is in a difficult situation. Also, he isn't physically strong as people make him out to be, the Carlton Cole goal last season against West Ham. The only think Skrtel is good at is his tackles, I think he is an excellent tackler, other than he is pretty average and not good enough to be in the starting XI

SouthCoastShankly wrote:

metalhead wrote:This is what I see in Skrtel

He isn't tactically aware because he ball watches a lot, he isn't as commanding as Carragher or read the game well as Carra. He isn't a good footballer, he always looks to hoof the ball rather than give the right pass or play it simple ala hyppia and Agger. He lacks composure and starts panicking when he is in a difficult situation. Also, he isn't physically strong as people make him out to be, the Carlton Cole goal last season against West Ham. The only think Skrtel is good at is his tackles, I think he is an excellent tackler, other than he is pretty average and not good enough to be in the starting XI

Yet he was the only player last season (bar Reina) who played every minute of every game.

Kenny must think differently. Especially when he could of easier played Kyrgiakos there or even gave Kelly a preferable position.

Ben Patrick wrote:

SouthCoastShankly wrote:

metalhead wrote:This is what I see in Skrtel

He isn't tactically aware because he ball watches a lot, he isn't as commanding as Carragher or read the game well as Carra. He isn't a good footballer, he always looks to hoof the ball rather than give the right pass or play it simple ala hyppia and Agger. He lacks composure and starts panicking when he is in a difficult situation. Also, he isn't physically strong as people make him out to be, the Carlton Cole goal last season against West Ham. The only think Skrtel is good at is his tackles, I think he is an excellent tackler, other than he is pretty average and not good enough to be in the starting XI

Yet he was the only player last season (bar Reina) who played every minute of every game.

Kenny must think differently. Especially when he could of easier played Kyrgiakos there or even gave Kelly a preferable position.

That worries me, as he is a poor player.

What are his strengths ?

SouthCoastShankly wrote:

metalhead wrote:This is what I see in Skrtel

He isn't tactically aware because he ball watches a lot, he isn't as commanding as Carragher or read the game well as Carra. He isn't a good footballer, he always looks to hoof the ball rather than give the right pass or play it simple ala hyppia and Agger. He lacks composure and starts panicking when he is in a difficult situation. Also, he isn't physically strong as people make him out to be, the Carlton Cole goal last season against West Ham. The only think Skrtel is good at is his tackles, I think he is an excellent tackler, other than he is pretty average and not good enough to be in the starting XI

Yet he was the only player last season (bar Reina) who played every minute of every game.

Kenny must think differently. Especially when he could of easier played Kyrgiakos there or even gave Kelly a preferable position.

SouthCoastShankly wrote:I would say he is more of a player who can work well with Carragher because he takes direction from Carragher. Most want a Carragher-Agger partnership but with Agger's injury record we don't get that often. Skrtel is the safe option I think.

Bad Bob wrote:There's so much to love about today's performance that it would be easy to overlook Skrtel's swashbuckling cameo at RB.  He was a lot of fun to watch today, bombing forward with wild abandon--even getting into the Bolton box on a couple of occasions. What a well timed run and thumping header for the goal as well.  If this is what the whiff of a bit of competition at the back does, than Coates's presence is already paying off.