Can the manager find his 'Fab Four'?
It all starts at the back. Simple. All Successful teams have a solid foundation on which they build and develop around. In the mid 80’s Liverpool boasted: Nicol, Hansen, Lawrenson, Beglin. Behind them was Brucie – always on the brink of brilliance or balls-up! That particular back four was immense. It defended, it attacked and it scored! OK – so Jocky wasn’t prolific, but Steve Nicol was unreal. He raided up and down the right flank (sometimes the left too depending on injures!) with determination, purpose and menace. Over 450 appearances, nine major honours, 1989 PFA Player of the Year and to cap it all – 46 goals!
The Red’s defence was solid, dependable but above all it rolled off the tongue. At no stage did we ever think leading up to a game who would play left back, or which centre back pairing would start. Fast forward to today – can the same be said?
To guide the back four is Reina – that’s a certainty. But does Roy really know which four players to employ ahead of Pepe? The right back slot is barring injury, Glen Johnson’s. Martin Kelly is probably ahead of Stephen Darby in the pecking order to deputise, should Johnno be unavailable. If Glen can tighten up on his defensive attributes while continuing to offer the much needed outlet on the right, he could possibly go on to become a legend, in the mould of Steve Nicol and Rob Jones. Chipping in with at least five or six goals per season will certainly help his cause.
The arrival of one of Roy’s former players, in the shape of Paul Konchesky would indicate that this will be his preferred left back. With Insua on a Turkish adventure and the persistent doubts about Fabio Aurelio’s ability to play more than 20 games a season, our new number 3 looks favourite to get the nod in Beglin’s old position. He does like to join in the attack and can whip in a pretty decent ball, as Reina will testify to after the ‘Gerrard Cup final’ in Cardiff in 2006. Also the former Fulham players height advantage over Fabio could prove very useful during set pieces – at both ends of the pitch.
It seems to be which player will partner ‘Carra’ that is the manager’s biggest dilemma. Jamie’s experience, positional sense, passion and undoubted organisation skills will see him as first choice centre back until we figure out how to clone him! So who should play alongside him? Agger? Skrtel? Kyrgiakos?. You would imagine it is a choice between these three players. While Martin Kelly prefers a more central role, and the signing of young Scottish defender Danny Wilson provides more strength in depth, it is the previous players who you feel the manager will turn to based on experience both domestically and internationally.
Agger possess tremendous footballing ability, some would say in the mould of Hansen, striding out of defence and linking up play. Also not shy of shooting from distance, the Danish international has many admirers amongst the fans. If he can eradicate a tendency to switch off at certain times during games, Agger can have a huge roll to play in the reds defence for years to come.
Skrtel on the other hand appears to be more in the ‘Carra’ mould. No nonsense, tough tackling and a great header of the ball, the giant tattooed Slovakian may feel he has the most claim to possibly being our number 23’s most natural successor! At 6ft 4 inches he should probably weigh in with a few more goals each season, as his Anfield tally of one goal from over eighty appearances isn’t really matching that of our rivals defenders.
‘Soto’ is of similar ilk to that of Skrtel. Commanding in the air, brave and experienced the recently retired Greek international defender is generally wheeled out for opponents such as Bolton, Stoke and Blackburn, where the over-physical approach is the chosen style of this premiership opponents. Purchased as defensive cover following the departure of one Mr Hyypia, Kyrgiakos is a great squad man – always ready to serve when called upon.
So that’s Roy’s dilemma, to make our back four our fab four. Who would you choose?
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Surely has to be agger, he’s a class act!! I think the only reason Roy never started him there is because fabio is injured he is the only cover for left back! This was wise as he had to replace konchesky late in the game
Soto + Agger. Krygiakos is the only player that can dominate in the air without fouling continuously (as Skrtel does) and so should be playing a much more prominent role for us. Agger should be his partner as the ‘footballing’ centreback, and with the responsibility for winning the headers removed from him (which he does have to do when partnering Carragher) he’ll look a much better defender again.
IMO Carragher would be a perfect backup centreback or emergency right back, and Skrtel would be resigned to bench duty with a view to being sold at the earliest opportunity to ensure that he doesn’t block the progress of Kelly/Wilson/Ayala
agger by many miles. he is so far ahead of skrtel in every department. concentration is regularly levelled at him as a problem but when was the last big mistake he made? once agger has played half a dozen games in a row in the centre he is one of the best in the premiership.
against birmingham we were crying out for someone dominant in the air in defence, soto would;ve been the first player i’d have turned to but agger is better than skrtel. i would rather see skrtel on the bench than starting against united but he is one i wouldnt be sorry to see leave next summer, assuming we get a good fee of course!
GJohnson/kelly-Carragher-Agger-Konchesky
agger will do great in his natural position that’s what he always does skrtel is a great player too got quality but tend to be toooo much in the game to be tackling everywhere on the field and get cards when could be avoided…
fact is when carra’s time comes (hopes it never does but reality is reality) those 2 sure will form a great partnership
@ vinod
open your eyes buddy, he wasnt employed to play that role and dont blame him for his abilities. if roy employed him to play that role then its roys fault. how are we to know the system put in place, the intricacies that have been laid out for a team to play upon? do you know how roy asked his full backs to move forward? no. do you know if roy wanted lucas to bomb forward in a box-box style? no. do you know if poulson was meant to do it? no.
who knows, maybe roy wanted 2 defensive midfielders to play similar roles of tidy short passing interlinking the forward and defence, as opposed to long sweeping cross field balls and defence splitting passes.
forget the masch-alonso(-gerrard) partnership because thats done and the chances of replicating that for any team is almost nil.
so get your head out of your ass and wake up and appreciate that both rafa and roy thought that lucas is a decent player who makes a damn lot of effort and had decent stats last season (go look them up you ignoramus).
and while youre at it, get off the media bandwagon and look at players abilities in an objective manner, ie their statistics. as opposed to your opinion, because if yours and anyone else who posts nonsensical vitriol on articles is worth something, then you wouldnt be spending your time on the internet would you?
Kyrgiakos should be in as a regular-very much in Sammy’s mould ,defence(not’Yankie’defense),and attack!!! go Soto !!!
the trouble is bar Pepe none of the back 4 are good enough. Kelly shows promise and Johnson would make a capable right winger but skrtle is poor at postitioning a gets caught out too often, Agger is poor in the air, carragher is too slow. and on yesterdays display konchesky is simply shit!
Another good one Boris – agree totally
@ BORIS
im not speaking about just the last game…i totally agree with u about the tactics of two holding midfielder in an away game…actually i was very glad to get a draw against birmingam…..but the thing is im fed up off seein him in a liverpool shirt….and why the hell is he starting against a promoted side west brom…in our home match…are u saying that roy included him to defend the very great midfield of a second division club???no way his role was to attack and like a playmaker and wat did he do?64 percent of the possesion was with west brom…i actually admired the way west brom midfirlders switched passes…torres and gerrard was prayin to touch the ball…and the one who tried to do some thin was poulson..jay spearing is more of an attack minded playmaker than lucas and hes way better than lucas in terms of range of passing and vision
and please dont compare stats
if ur comparing then gerrard is not half good as fabregas or lampard
denilson had the best pass completion rate in 2008 and lucas in 2009 ur sayin these two are the best midfielders in the prem league?
crackn blog!! need to get more youth in for sure..bit of kop heart in the 1st eleven who can learn from carra while he’s still playn!!
@ boris
i notice you’re on the internet too mate, giving YOUR opinion, which is what these forums are all about, a chance for fans to voice their opinions!
but back to the subject
in my opinion (BORIS!) GJ, skrtel, agger, konch
we need someonelike vidic or vermailin besides carra ..very commanding the air…skrtels is quite poor positioning wise
Johnson – Carragher – Agger – Konchesky, I think this set up almost picks itself, until we can find a replacement for Carra. Skirtle is a penalty waiting to happen everytime the opposition get close to goal, be it from a set piece or someone running at him.
Just to add my 2 cents to the Lucas debate, I actually thought that against Birmingham, when most of the players around him failed to turn up (including Torres & Gerrard), he put in a good hard working shift, apart from Reina, I would have said he was the only one who appeared really interested.
Boris aint me mate!! sure he’s stickn up for lucas!lol
Still holding out for partridge to come back!! lol