Topic: LFC sign Mamadou Sakho

[Hoenheim]

Why did he come off? Due a rest?

Not long after he was gone we conceded through the air.

Stevie was supposed to mark the Palace player, not a defender.

[edge]

Who else are they gonna pick?

Dunno, just heard he was out of the NT until he got regular playing time.

[The Gigi]

Dunno, just heard he was out of the NT until he got regular playing time.

He was recalled by Deschamps.

[Redshadow]

Whoever helped to scout him needs to be given a bonus...
Another bargain signing by BR that starts to turn gold

[The Gigi]

Should be Sakho and Varane, no?

Great performance today and I don't think his being left footed will keep Brendan from pairing him with Agger should 4 at the back be needed going forward.

On pure ability yes, I would choose these two lads. They are the best who have emerged since Thuram retired IMO. But they do lack a bit of experience, especially Varane.

[gaztop08]

didnt really see much of the match...so good to see some posters here saying he had a good game

[Hoenheim]

On pure ability yes, I would choose these two lads. They are the best who have emerged since Thuram retired IMO. But they do lack a bit of experience, especially Varane.

Varane is playing way ahead of his years, he looked rock solid at 19 when he played vs Barcelona, and has been very consistent. Varane + Sakho should be France's CBs at the WC.

[edge]

He was recalled by Deschamps.

Hence why I would be surprised if he doesn't start

[MolbyLovesGravlax]

Getting better each game. Mark my words the media will discover him in a couple more months and the pundits will start lying about how much they always rated him. He is made for this league.

[Kopenhagen]

Getting better each game. Mark my words the media will discover him in a couple more months and the pundits will start lying about how much they always rated him. He is made for this league.

This! He was immense again today. So good on the ball too.

[Caffeine]

This guy gets better every week, I thought he was brilliant today.

[The Gigi]

Hence why I would be surprised if he doesn't start

Ok, I misread your post, sorry for that 

[Carly]

Getting better each game. Mark my words the media will discover him in a couple more months and the pundits will start lying about how much they always rated him. He is made for this league.

Commentators in today's game were praising him and even Garth Crooks had him in his team of the week after our last PL game.  They are slowly but surely noticing how good he is.

Only 23 years old as well.  Scary how good he could become.

[Beninger]

Sakho and Toure have taken our defending up a few notches.  The kind of defending you need to win in this league.  The system is going to be shaky for a little bit as they all get used to things, but man for man, it's all you could ask for.

[Wilmo]

He's an absolute beast, a great defender to watch. His passing, aggression and intelligence mark him out as special. Always talking as well,w ith him, Agger and Kolo, we have some real leadership from the back.

[kaesarsosei]

Absolutely no way Toure gets dropped. Sakho and Skrtel have done great lately. But I think Toure's been the reason. Having that experience in the middle of defence is key - and the lad's class as well obviously.

If it's a 2 man CB, then Toure and Sakho is a no brainer. 3 man defence, and it's a question but only when you think about Agger or Skrtel. Sakho and Toure have added qualities into the defence that we haven't had for years. And they're playing better and better as a unit each game. No need to change that.

I agree with this 100%, in fact I would have serious worries about anyone who doesn't see this. Sakho second best player today behind Hendo. Toure 3rd probably.

[Mr_Shane]

Agree with the above. Toure has the mentatlity and the calming composure. Of Agger, Skrtel and Sakho... Sakho is the least likely to be bullied by the likes of players like Lukaku and Benteke, plus he can pass.

[cartmangreko]

Whoever helped to scout him needs to be given a bonus...
Another bargain signing by BR that starts to turn gold

He was a French international, an integral part of the PSG squad for almost half a decade and the winner the Young Player of the Year award in France. Not exactly a scouting discovery.

He was indeed a bargain though and I was very surprised we signed him. In my view there isn't a club in the world that couldn't use a player of his potential and physical abilities. (Personally, I would start him in Barcelona over Pique easily). Maybe we were the only ones that guaranteed him a place in the starting XI

[Cid]

Whoever helped to scout him needs to be given a bonus...
Another bargain signing by BR that starts to turn gold

To be fair, half this forum could have told you how good he is. The bonus should go to whoever negotiated it. He's the quality of player who inevitably ends up at your city's and your Monaco teams these days.

The question becomes, who the hell do we drop when Agger is fit?  Skrtel is the obvious answer but he's been doing well this season and thats even assuming we don't go back to a back 4.

[Pinky_Bieber]

lucky to have him

[edge]

Ok, I misread your post, sorry for that 

No worries, I do it all the time

[Redshadow]

I'm sure Arsenal and City would have the need to sign him, bet he would prefer them to us, so, there's something in the way his profile is made that makes BR believe s he's the right player for us. Anyway,  totally happy with his performance and commitment...

[jake11]

Whoever helped to scout him needs to be given a bonus...
Another bargain signing by BR that starts to turn gold

He has always been a good player, the important thing was that he became available and we dived in and convinced him that this was where he belonged. That's where the credit is due.

I've said before that he is starting to remind me of Sami, and I'm sticking to that. He plays with his head up and watches the game. He is decisive and committed. A genuine Liverpool quality player.

[beardsleyismessimk1]

You just have to look at the fella and you begin to doubt yourself.

Putting that kind of fear in to the oppo even before a ball is kicked , and you have won the battle already.

The guy is a genuine unit, a monster of a man .

If looks could kill, they would have to blindfold him.

A stalwart for the next decade, you can not put a price on that kind of consistency , defence is sorted with him in it. Just like Bart boy, moved at same age, and he been an ever present for the last decade.

[schumi_pete]

To be fair, half this forum could have told you how good he is. The bonus should go to whoever negotiated it. He's the quality of player who inevitably ends up at your city's and your Monaco teams these days.

The question becomes, who the hell do we drop when Agger is fit?  Skrtel is the obvious answer but he's been doing well this season and thats even assuming we don't go back to a back 4.

Everyone earns his place in the starting eleven. You don't drop Skrtel for Agger if Skrtel does not warrant dropping.

Right now, the three CB's that should start in our current formation are Toure, Skrtel and Sakho. For far too long, we haven't had enough competition to genuinely force players to up their games week in week out. If we go back to a back four, it would be even more difficult to see how Agger can get in unless someone gets injured or loses form terribly.

[schumi_pete]

I'd be livid if he doesn't start for my country considering the quality of the defenders we have.

We are so used to seeing Rami and Mexes at the back that it must feel like a novelty for our compatriots to see Varane and Sakho there now 

[stockdam]

He had a good game today and is settling into the team well. I think there is more to come and as his understanding with Skrtel, Toure or Agger develops then we'll see him get better.

[Motty]

He was brilliant today , most improved about him is his composure and passing, come on loads since the Swansea game which I thought it would

[princeoftherocks]

Very shrewd signing.  Very confident with our transfer policy.  He's so smart, he always seems to be in the right place.  And he looks pretty intimidating, too.

[Kali Yuga]

Sakho looks great. Simple, but true.

[Titan]

The guy's just an absolute monster. He's still only 23 too

[SerbianScouser]

Can`t wait to see him with Toure in 4 man defence. I noticed the two of them against Soton last 20 min held the defensive line almost at the half way line and I really loved it. I have a nagging feeling with the two of them we might be onto something.

[Tomo!]

Clinical when he goes to ground with them slide tackles, whoever is on the end of one knows about it as well.

[schumi_pete]

Clinical when he goes to ground with them slide tackles, whoever is on the end of one knows about it as well.

I bet Osvaldo felt that tackle in the Soton game 

Wrote this earlier on this thread..after having watched him for a long time for PSG, he knows when to go to ground with those tackles and hardly ever mistimes them.

[Rufus Bullimore]

When you pay around £15 million for a defender you should expect to see good performances. I like the lad and I hope he repays that fee.

[csgreen]

Everyone earns his place in the starting eleven. You don't drop Skrtel for Agger if Skrtel does not warrant dropping.

Not to clog up the Sakho thread, but that's nonsense.  Even if Aspas was setting the world alight during the first few games he would have been dropped for Luis Suarez (and rightly so).  Every time Gerrard goes out injured he comes right back into the team when he's healthy, even if his replacement had not "warranted dropping" (again, rightly so).  The idea that players can be "on form" is a complete and utter fallacy - it's a mistake that people who don't understand probabilities make (the same way that the "hot hand" in basketball is).  Simply put, you play your best players - you don't think "well, Player X hasn't screwed anything up in the last three games, so I'll wait until he does to bring someone else in."  That would be the height of lunacy.  It's also worth pointing out that if you set up a team structure where if a player is injured they lose their place in the team, then you encourage players to play hurt, which then damages the team. 

So in the end, if BR thinks that Agger is the 4th best CB on the team and thus plays Toure/Skrtel/Sakho, so be it.  That's a decision based upon some rational analysis.  If on the other hand he thinks, "Agger isn't the 4th best CB on the team, but I can't drop one of the players Agger is better than until that player does something disastrous" - well, honestly I can't fathom anyone who has gotten to BR's level thinking something so completely and totally irrational...

Returning to Sakho.  I think he's going to be great.  I also think he's going to cost us points this year because he doesn't yet know the difference between being aggressive and being stupidly aggressive.  If Crystal Palace weren't so wretched they would have punished us on the play that Sakho went clattering into Skrtel for no damn reason (the ball was Skrtel's and also offered no threat) thus springing Palace onto a break (in exactly the same way he did against Swansea where we were actually punished).  But as I've said previously, I think it's easier to get a naturally aggressive player to be a bit smarter than it is to get a non-aggressive player to be aggressive...   

[schumi_pete]

Not to clog up the Sakho thread, but that's nonsense.  Even if Aspas was setting the world alight during the first few games he would have been dropped for Luis Suarez (and rightly so).  Every time Gerrard goes out injured he comes right back into the team when he's healthy, even if his replacement had not "warranted dropping" (again, rightly so).  The idea that players can be "on form" is a complete and utter fallacy - it's a mistake that people who don't understand probabilities make (the same way that the "hot hand" in basketball is).  Simply put, you play your best players - you don't think "well, Player X hasn't screwed anything up in the last three games, so I'll wait until he does to bring someone else in."  That would be the height of lunacy.  It's also worth pointing out that if you set up a team structure where if a player is injured they lose their place in the team, then you encourage players to play hurt, which then damages the team. 

So in the end, if BR thinks that Agger is the 4th best CB on the team and thus plays Toure/Skrtel/Sakho, so be it.  That's a decision based upon some rational analysis.  If on the other hand he thinks, "Agger isn't the 4th best CB on the team, but I can't drop one of the players Agger is better than until that player does something disastrous" - well, honestly I can't fathom anyone who has gotten to BR's level thinking something so completely and totally irrational...

Returning to Sakho.  I think he's going to be great.  I also think he's going to cost us points this year because he doesn't yet know the difference between being aggressive and being stupidly aggressive.  If Crystal Palace weren't so wretched they would have punished us on the play that Sakho went clattering into Skrtel for no damn reason (the ball was Skrtel's and also offered no threat) thus springing Palace onto a break (in exactly the same way he did against Swansea where we were actually punished).  But as I've said previously, I think it's easier to get a naturally aggressive player to be a bit smarter than it is to get a non-aggressive player to be aggressive...   

I am sorry but players should not play based on reputations. They should be chosen to play based on how well they do in training and in games. What is this hypothetical pecking order that you are talking about? If out of the four center backs we have, if Agger is the fourth best center back at this point in time, then he deserves to be on the bench and not on the pitch. It doesn't mean that the situation wouldn't change over the course of the season. Skrtel was virtually out in the cold all of the back end of last season but he's kept his place (rightfully in my view) since his performances have not dropped. Similarly, Agger will get back into the playing eleven when Brendan thinks he's earner his place.

As I said, playing for Liverpool should not be an entitlement to anyone based on their reputation alone. If you are good enough, you go into the playing eleven and that's how it should be. I think what would be irrational would be to drop a player who is playing better right now in favor of a player that Brendan thinks is the better player but who is not playing as well. It's like saying 'you are doing a great job but I am going to promote the other guy because he is the better guy by general consensus and also because I think in my mind he's better'. Not what I would call rewarding someone for his performance.

[Learpholl]

While playing as Liverpool in Pro Ev lately I've singing to tune of Pixie Lotts'  'Mamado' (it's not a good song, but if firs and is simple)

We've got Maaaaaamadou!
Sa-kho! Sa-kho! Sa-kho!

[J-Mc-]

Honestly wasn't sure about this lad because admittedly I'd not watched as much of our games this season as I'd have liked to due to commitments, but i fell in love with the fella today.

He's got power, pace, composure and that last ditch header at the end of the second half was a fucking beauty!

What a player we've got here, and he's only 23!

[THE7KING]

I think he is boss...his been brilliant unfit, new league, absolute beast.

I think the 3 at the back is brilliant and suits are players but I do think the best three would be Kolo, Agger and Sakho