When all around you changes, it can be difficult to stay the same. That is something that Daniel Agger felt last season, and he will soon realise that it’s all happening again when he heads into next season as possibly the sole surviving member of our four recognised centre halves from last season.
Now that Jamie Carragher has hung up his boots and both Martin Skrtel and Sebastian Coates seemingly look to be moving to pastures new, Daniel Agger will be tasked with being the bedrock at the heart of the Liverpool defence as Kolo Toure and any new arrivals settle in to life at Anfield. The question is though, can Agger be this bedrock?
Let’s get this out of the way early to avoid any confusion; Daniel Agger is a quality footballer. He offers pretty much everything you’re looking for in a modern day centre half and is a valuable asset to Liverpool. Having said that, he didn’t have a great season last year if truth be told.
In fairness to Agger, no member of Liverpool’s centre half quartet had a fantastic time of things. Martin Skrtel’s fall from grace was as surprising as it was rapid, Sebastian Coates was rarely called upon, yet when he was, he looked like a lost puppy and even Jamie Carragher wasn’t brilliant. Yes, he came in and did a pretty good job, but his lack of pace forced Liverpool to play very deep, which is counter productive in the system that Brendan Rodgers employs.
As previously mentioned, Daniel Agger struggled at times too. Perhaps he was unsettled by the changes around him, or maybe he just had a difficult season? The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, yet Liverpool can’t afford him to be below par next year as they aim to push on from finishing seventh to hopefully having a real go at finishing in the top four. They’ll need ‘the old’ Daniel Agger back, and the Danish international should and hopefully does understand that.
Ever since his Liverpool career began, Agger has never had to be the bedrock defender that he’ll need to be next season. Whether it be Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher or Martin Skrtel, Agger always had a steely, determined character along side him which allowed him a an air of freedom. That won’t be the case next season, and Agger will need to be Liverpool’s main man at the heart of the defence. He does come across as a quiet, unassuming player, yet he is the captain of his national side Denmark, which proves he does possess leadership qualities. Liverpool will need all of his leadership abilities to come to the forefront next season. Rumours are circulating that he will be given the role of vice-captain next season, assuming that Pepe Reina will be exiting the club. That could be a great move for him and one that hopefully brings back ‘the old’ Daniel Agger.
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