Topic: Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel Partnership

[sinnermichael]

i agree that since agger has been injured, skrtel's form has gone to pieces. started ball watching to a ridiculous extent. cisse's movement today for the first goal wasn't even that good.

[Red Eyed]

All I wanted was for Coates to come in at LCB, but no Carra took Skrtels position and now look at whats happened, fucking hell

[tea_tree]

Why is Jamie Carragher starting for us? What an absolute joke of a decision

[Danny_]

I don't really mind Carragher starting if we were playing Coates with him but Skrtel/Carragher partnership just doesn't work.  We can't continue with it and have to drop one or the other.

[Alf]

Agger's been anonymous since he went off in the Carling Cup Final.

[BCCC]

Agger can't be relied on for any long term partnership. He will always pick up injuries so we need to buy Skrtel's next partner or build his partnership with Coates. Agger will have to make do with a back up roll which is a shame but him missing for long periods destroys our back line.

[1021]

Skrtel has been faultless this season, but has looked nervous and indecisive in our last two fixtures.
The reason is clear, for anyone who can bring themselves to see it.

[Didi_ram]

Agger's been anonymous since he went off in the Carling Cup Final.

And in that period,we've won one game.The Stevie Derby.

[AJG]

I miss agger, can we just metal him up like wolverine?

[Hazell]

Skrtel has been faultless this season, but has looked nervous and indecisive in our last two fixtures.
The reason is clear, for anyone who can bring themselves to see it.

Thought we needed someone to organise the defence against the likes of QPR, Wigan and Newcastle?

[Rohit]

Thought we needed someone to organise the defence against the likes of QPR, Wigan and Newcastle?

Really is one of the biggest myths out there just to keep playing him aswell. They're grown fucking men and all internationals, if they can't organise or read the game without someone holding their hand throughout the game well they shouldn't be playing for us. Plus where does this organising the defence rubbish come from, sami didn't need organising and neither did agger after him.

[Hazell]

Really is one of the biggest myths out there just to keep playing him aswell. They're grown fucking men and all internationals, if they can't organise or read the game without someone holding their hand throughout the game well they shouldn't be playing for us. Plus where does this organising the defence rubbish come from, sami didn't need organising and neither did agger after him.

It's nonsense. The same argument was being made in the summer - that Agger and Skrtel can't 'organise' the defence and we need Carragher and his 'experience' to do this. That was blown out of the water and now the same reasons are being made to justify a Uruguay international being kept on the bench. Coates may or may not be a player good enough for a team trying to get to where we want to be but I'd love for someone of his pedigree and for what he's shown so far to be given some chances to grow and develop as opposed to a 34 year old whose performances have been poor in recent years. If it were a 34 year old Hyypia I'd understand but in purely footballing terms, Coates should be 3rd choice, both for the good of the present and the future.

[Gnurglan]

What have we got to lose by playing Coates with Skrtel? He may not be the next Sami, but he needs games, we have the perfect opportunity to give him those games to progress, yet we don't. And we leak goals.

[redforlife]

See, it has nothing to do with what side he's on, simply playing along Carra turns players to shit, making them do things they've not done all season.

Still my player of the season though.

Interesting to see Skrtel back on the right hand side, I do wonder where that's come from all of a sudden, but as you say, it wasn't Skrtel's finest game this season

[Melbred]

Get Carra out of our first XI, and our defence is sorted again.

The unsettling effect he has had on all of those players at the back is uncanny.

[G1 Jockey 4(betfair)]

Interesting to see Skrtel back on the right hand side, I do wonder where that's come from all of a sudden, but as you say, it wasn't Skrtel's finest game this season

take the mistake out of the equation and he actually played really well


not sure what he was thinking for their opener
step up and he was off....think he knew he was going to get his timing wrong and pannicked

[Aristotle]

Interesting to see Skrtel back on the right hand side, I do wonder where that's come from all of a sudden, but as you say, it wasn't Skrtel's finest game this season

Think it was to cover for Flanagan. Skrtel was at times deeper than Carra and more wide while Carra tucked in

[Chakan]

Think it was to cover for Flanagan. Skrtel was at times deeper than Carra and more wide while Carra tucked in

Covering for 2 players.

[masterbaker]

i dont think its a coincidence skrtel's form has dropped since carra has been put back in, he's always looked a bag of nerves when he partners carra for some reason, and i dont know why that is, it was even happening before carra's decline

[El Ninos Black Eye]

take the mistake out of the equation and he actually played really well


not sure what he was thinking for their opener
step up and he was off....think he knew he was going to get his timing wrong and pannicked

It was poor defending.  But we backed off Ben Arfa and let him pin point his delivery, he should have been closed down and not allowed to get the cross in. But after that he should have done better, but we all make mistakes.

He needs Agger back alongside him, is there any news on his return.

[Saint Kopite]

i dont think its a coincidence skrtel's form has dropped since carra has been put back in, he's always looked a bag of nerves when he partners carra for some reason, and i dont know why that is, it was even happening before carra's decline

Because Skrtel needs someone with calmness and composure like an Agger/Hyypia alongside him to complement his aggressive style of play.

[masterbaker]

Because Skrtel needs someone with calmness and composure like an Agger/Hyypia alongside him to complement his aggressive style of play.

i wouldnt disagree with that, both agger and skrtel seem happiest when left to just get on with the job

[exiledintheUSA]

Better be fit and paired together for the derby.

[redforlife]

It was poor defending.  But we backed off Ben Arfa and let him pin point his delivery, he should have been closed down and not allowed to get the cross in. But after that he should have done better, but we all make mistakes.

He needs Agger back alongside him, is there any news on his return.

Yeh Spearing was acting like a shithouse there, no challenge whatsoever.

[El_Pistolero]

Please be fit.

[scatman]

Because Skrtel needs someone with calmness and composure like an Agger/Hyypia alongside him to complement his aggressive style of play.

it's because both agger and skrtel press towards their man staying tight, Carragher drops off and it leaves Skrtel at unease, Agger and Skrtel are both confident in their abilities to win 50/50s and if not that the other will cover.

[csgreen]

                                                                         EXP RETURN
Liverpool   C Adam         Knee Injury              No return date   
                 M Kelly          Knock                       1st Apr 12   
                 J Robinson    Ankle/Foot Injury     1st Apr 12   
                C Bellamy       Knock                      1st Apr 12   
                G Johnson      Hamstring Injury     1st Apr 12   
                D Agger          Fractured Rib          1st Apr 12   
                L Leiva           ACL Knee Injury      Jun 12

Pushed back to April 7th (next game) now.  Seems like the best rule of thumb in judging when Agger will be back is to take the longest initial estimate (which I think at the time of the injury was 4 weeks) and then either add 2 weeks or add another 50% of the maximum, whichever is longer... So by that rule he'll just make it back in time for the FA Semi...

Liverpool   C Adam    Knee Injury    no return date    
          M Kelly    Knock    7th Apr 12    
          J Robinson    Ankle/Foot Injury    no return date    
          G Johnson    Hamstring Injury    7th Apr 12    
          D Agger    Fractured Rib    7th Apr 12    
          L Leiva    ACL Knee Injury    Jun 12

[SkinHimHesShite]

Off of twitter

RT @BassTunedToRed: #LFC in the league this season: Agger on the pitch: concede once every 129.7 mins. Without him, every 58.9 mins

just said this in the enrique thread- can we have win % for matches with/without agger for the last 5 years? does anyone know where to get this info?

[steveeastend]

it's because both agger and skrtel press towards their man staying tight, Carragher drops off and it leaves Skrtel at unease, Agger and Skrtel are both confident in their abilities to win 50/50s and if not that the other will cover.

Exactly. Add this to the fact that Gerrard cannot close down the center you get just too much space to close down for the ones willing to do the work for defense.

To me, this was the main reason why we lost today. Without pressing, the distance between our attack and defense is just too big in order to play some reasonable football.

[AJG]

Skrtel is losing confidence quick whilst next to Carragher, Agger needs to get fit quick

[Tony19:6]

Thought Skrtel was poor again today. Up to the last 3 games Id say he's been our best player this year. The old mistakes seem to be creeping back into his game...
Hopefully the return of Agger will see his form return.

[Il Capitano]

Skrtel is losing confidence quick whilst next to Carragher, Agger needs to get fit quick

Or the more preferable option, that Carragher is dropped.

(forever)

[HariLFC]

Carragher needs to be dropped, he doesn't partner Skrtel well, even Coates looks better with him.

[Caligula?]

When will Agger be fit again? 

[farawayred]

Maybe Carra won't play for most of the remainder of the season. Today Skrtel played on the right, which might be a preparation step for Coates to get in on the left (if Agger is not fit).

[iwear no colours]

From the horses mouth I saw him right after the QPR game he said then he would miss the next  2 games

[Z e u s]

I miss Agger.

[Dagger/Molby]

This is it. After one bad performance from defence it is because of Agger missing.

I expect some lads to come here in a while and demand that Skrtel is shit and should be sold. The lad could have 5 shockers in a row and still would be our most consistent plazer of the season by a mile.

And Jamie is playing very good since he is back.

No - there is no way anyone should slaugther Skrtel - Its not his foult. Dagger makes Skrtel better and vice versa. If Dagger was playing together with Carra it will be almost the same story. It has taken me a long time to realize this - but the problem in our deffence are Carra - no matter who he plays with we look insecure and make a lot of mistakes. Martin is not playing up to his best for the time being - IMO it's because he covers a 2 line CB by himself.... I am sure he is back on track as soon as partnership is put back to normal....

Hopefully the reason for Daggers long absence are they want him 100% fit before he returns... I read in a Danish paper that he has been struggling with this injury since Oct when he broke the rib - but returned to fast... Hope to se him back soon - 100% fit   

[anfieldanfield]

From the horses mouth I saw him right after the QPR game he said then he would miss the next  2 games

So he should be in contention for the Villa game.

We desperately need him back. Johnson too.

[MrGrumpy]

He cant come back soon enough.