---
title: "Sakho has found his comfort zone in Rodgers’ 3-4-2-1"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/sakho-has-found-his-comfort-zone-in-rodgers-3-4-2-1/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Ben Smith"
section: "Articles"
published: "2015-01-06T21:33:25Z"
modified: "2015-01-07T10:26:46Z"
---

# Sakho has found his comfort zone in Rodgers’ 3-4-2-1

Since Mamadou Sakho regained his place in the side, there has been a slight upturn in Liverpool’s form.

That said, the performances of the French international continue to divide opinion. Many feel he is the best central defender at Brendan Rodgers’ disposal – although that is somewhat down to process of elimination – yet some Reds supporters still have their doubts over the £18m man.

After being omitted from Brendan Rodgers’ squad for the Merseyside derby in September, the 24-year-old left the stadium immediately. He would later apologise, but to some supporters, it was a petulant act that was impossible to forgive straight away.

Those particular supporters will have felt justice was done when he picked up a thigh injury in training shortly after the 1-1 draw with the Toffees, but results continued to suffer in Sakho’s two-and-a-half month absence.

During that time, the Reds won just five of their 17 fixtures, losing more ground domestically and crashing out of the Champions League in the process.

For the trip to Bournemouth, the former Paris Saint-Germain captain was installed back into the Liverpool lineup as part of a back three – a system Rodgers had toyed with last season.

Sakho has made the left centre-back position his own in recent weeks, and last season’s Premier League runners-up are now unbeaten in six in all competitions, despite conceding a total of seven goals in those games.

Question marks were raised over the 6ft 2 defender in the 4-1 win over Swansea City, when Sakho headed Wayne Routledge’s cross straight into the path of Gylfi Sigurdsson who duly gave the Swans a foothold. Then, he gifted Wilfried Bony a chance to make it 2-2 with a misplaced pass straight from kick-off.

There’s no doubt Sakho has shown some promise since his arrival from Ligue 1 in the summer of 2013, but this season he has fewer tackles, interceptions, and clearances per game than Dejan Lovren who has been unanimously criticised.

His physicality and his astonishingly crisp passing are among his greater characteristics, but a few too many moments of inelegant defending occasionally negate those attributes.

Another quality seemingly lacking from Sakho’s game – maybe not necessarily important for a centre-back – is goals.

His year-and-a-half on Merseyside have yielded just one goal, compared to Martin Skrtel, who – albeit in more games – has managed eight in that timeframe.

His solitary goal was a rather fortunate one, too. A mishit volley from a set-piece in a 4-1 win over West Ham United in December 2013 broke his duck. A week later, though, he spurned a glorious chance to make it 3-0 to Liverpool at White Hart Lane, heading against the post from close range when it looked easier to score.

Liverpool ran out 5-0 winners against Tottenham Hotspur, so it didn’t matter, but another miss on another day did matter – the 2-0 loss at home to Chelsea in which the title dream slipped away. At 0-0, Luis Suarez drilled the ball across to Sakho, who from six yards out blasted over. Is it harsh to lambast him for that? Perhaps. But had he kept his shot down, Liverpool may well have been crowned champions.

Of course, it’s at the other end where he will be judged, and as it stands, he is considered worthy of a place in the starting XI. But, if mistakes such as the two against Swansea begin to creep in more often, he’ll be under threat.

Rodgers’ decision to use three centre-backs, plus the disappointing start to Dejan Lovren’s Liverpool career have both helped Sakho’s cause as far as starting Premier League fixtures on a weekly basis is concerned, but it’s debatable as to whether the £18m will turn out to be a worthwhile investment.