Liverpool enter the new season with cautious optimism. The recruitments made will ensure that a repeat of the disastrous season they suffered last term is unlikely.
Signings of Benteke, Ings and the addition of Origi will mean that there are viable forward options. Furthermore, Clyne is a great improvement on Johnson and (vice captain) Milner will run the midfield in stark contrast to a 35-year-old Gerrard who was no longer up to the pace of the Premier League. The loss of Sterling has been somewhat balanced by the signing of Firmino, an outstanding talent.
However, it is undoubtedly an existing player who is most important: Dejan Lovren. The decision to offload Daniel Agger for a minimal £3m and sign the Croatian so far appears to be Brendan Rodgers’ single greatest mistake as Liverpool manager. It seems to be a mistake that Rodgers is reluctant to accept, as Lovren started ahead of Sakho for the opener against Stoke and likely beyond as he seeks a “consistent” defence.
Lovren’s struggles in his first season at Anfield can be summarised by the statistic that before Christmas he made six defensive errors leading to goals. Even by the end of the season this remained the most by any outfield player.
But perhaps the moment Yannick Bolasie’s stumbling run left the 26-year-old tumbling with Brendan Rodgers’ head in hands (even before he hit the ground), better epitomises the former Southampton player’s performances.
The wider impact was that Lovren’s mistakes transpired to those around him. His defensive shakiness reflected particularly on Mignolet, whose form declined so much that he was dropped for Brad Jones, who had previously made just one appearance for each year he spent at the club. With the introduction of a back three (composed of Sakho, Skrtel and Can), Mignolet’s form improved to such a great extent that by the end of the season where were calls for him to win Liverpool’s Player of the Year award. A truly remarkable change.
After signing a new contract, Martin Skrtel will be a mainstay in defence for the Reds. A destructive defender who engages opponents, Skrtel favours a partnering sweeper defender (ironically) in the likeness of Agger. However, with Lovren eager to prove himself, he began diving into challenges he didn’t need to make. Effectively, it turned Skrtel from a destructive defender to a catastrophic one. The Serbian lacks good distribution, therefore Liverpool’s left centre-back needs this quality. On the evidence of his first season for Lovren, this is a skill which is lacking. This could be a result of nerves and poor form (Rodgers again recently reiterated that he was signed from Southampton for this attribute). Whatever the case, this Liverpool team can’t accommodate two non-ball playing defenders.
Finally, Lovren’s relationship with Liverpool’s left-back can be examined. Alberto Moreno suffered a disappointing season and there were even suggestions that Rodgers may be looking to offload him. The major criticism being his defensive positioning. Caught out many times either too far up the field or not tight enough to the left centre back, Moreno’s lack of positional knowledge cost Liverpool. Some of this weakness could be pinned on the Spaniard’s inexperience. At 23 years of age, he would benefit from a strong voice beside him barking instructions and keeping him focused. But Lovren was forced to place all focus on his own game, quickly coming under intense pressure. It would be lazy to place the blame of Moreno’s poor season on Lovren, but he certainly wouldn’t have helped.
For Liverpool fans, Lovren’s presence seems pretty grim. The weaknesses he brings out of those around him cause an incompetence in Liverpool’s defence which they can ill afford if they are to qualify for next year’s Champions League or bring in any kind of silverware. Some improvement is almost guaranteed, but great strides will need to be taken. Sakho has been injury prone at Liverpool and can’t be relied on as a season-long replacement. Beyond the Frenchman is only the ageing and inconsistent Toure who is no longer Premier League quality.
Lovren needs to make himself counted and go at least some way to justifying his £20m fee, otherwise another disappointing season for Liverpool awaits.
