Football News: Liverpool Centre Back Strength Review
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Liverpool centre back strength and depth report
Current first team centre backs:
Mamadhou Sakho
Dejan Lovren
Martin Skrtel
Tiago Ilori
Joe Gomez
Kolo Toure
Lucas Leiva
In on loan:
Steven Caulker
Youth centre backs:
Tom Brewitt
Dan Cleary
Conor Masterson
Josh Dobie
Mich'el Parker
Out on loan:
Lloyd Jones
Arriving in the summer:
Joel Matip
Players who can cover
Andre Wisdom
Emre Can (in an emergency)
Overview
Immediately Steven Caulker can be ruled out, his loan expires in the summer and it would be a stupidity of an even bigger magnitude than the initial loan if his move was made permanent. Kolo looks set to leave when his contract expires in the summer, though I personally would have no problem with him staying. Nice guy, great character, good experience to have around the dressing room and is happy at his age to be cover. Also nice to know that his wages would go towards the upkeep of the orphanage he spends a lot of his time and money helping.
That leaves three experienced centre backs in Mamadhou Sakho, Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel, with Joel Matip arriving for next season. Skrtel has shown repeatedly that he is rash, drops off too deep, gets bullied by big strong forwards, especially in the air, and is all at sea against small, nippy opponents. He does not communicate well with his fellow centre back, nor the full backs. It is time to replace him without doubt, now there is no longer an Agger or Carragher at the club to carry him.
The issue with Sakho and Lovren is injuries, both seem to pick up far too many injuries, for whatever reason, neither can be relied on throughout the season. Sadly both have to be considered as back ups, at best, for that reason. While both have shown times when they have looked capable of being good enough, neither have been able to sustain it due to injury as soon as they hit form. Unless those injury problems can be cured, they both have to be considered surplus, as the injuries are far too regular and lengthy to just be ignored.
Tiago Ilori has never had the extended run of games to show if he is good enough or not, unless he is going to get that chance, it is pointless stalling his career by holding onto him. Clearly has ability on the ball and pace, but he lacks experience and he is not going to get it like this. Joe Gomez, all being well, has shown he is a very capable player and could be excellent, but he is still just a youngster and he needs to be carefully managed. Right now being a back up option, covering for injuries, loss of form and to allow others to have a rest is ideal for him.
Could Lucas Leiva be the answer? He is not tall, but he has played there a couple of times now, dropping back from the defensive midfield position he normally occupies, and has been excellent on each occasion. In fact he looked like the natural centre back, and, despite his lack of height, I am struggling to think of a time he was beaten in the air. Lacks a bit of pace, certainly, but his reading of the game more than makes up for it and that is without his quality of passing from the back taken into account. Also he is clearly equally comfortable playing on the left or right side of a centre back pairing, which makes him even more useful. For me, he needs to be given the rest of the season in the role to prove it was no fluke. If he does so, then it will be a case of Lucas and A N Other at centre half for Liverpool going forward.
Of the youngsters, most have shown promise, but they need more time yet, though Lloyd Jones, Andre Wisdom and Tiago Ilori need to be held up as examples of how not to develop youngsters through loan moves. If the club continue to make errors of the magnitude they have done with those players, then no youngsters will ever make it! How anyone within the club's footballing structure could have looked at a loan offer from Blackpool and thought it made sense to send Jones there I will never know.
Speaking of Wisdom, he and Can are very much emergency cover only for centre back, neither look capable of playing at centre back for an extended period to me. Can is big but constantly beaten in the air and has little defensive responsibility in his game, leaving him caught out repeatedly by anyone actually attacking his areas. Wisdom, on the other hand, just lacks the positional sense and awareness that a centre back needs.
This is an area the club are going to have to look at and strengthen, even if Lucas turns out to be a centre back in essence, and Matip slots in effortlessly alongside him. Two injury prone back ups and Gomez, who will be recovering a serious injury, are enough to get through a season, but they are not a long term solution. What we do have though is the luxury of being able to cope with what we have, while the more urgent issues in the side are solved. Upgrades are needed but it is not the most urgent issue if Lucas can continue to perform like he did in the League Cup final against Sergio Aguero.
Written by Tris Burke February 29 2016 14:33:59