Lovren

[Rosco]

Ronnie Whelan made an interesting point when discussing Lovren on the TV commentary last night. He said, quite rightly, that there have been good players before who came to LFC and didn't make it there because they couldn't cope with the weight of expectation. I wonder if Lovren's suffering from that and essentially needs to be a big fish in a smaller pond in order to play his best.

I think thats just bullshit. I can't be any clearer. It is exactly the kind of mediocre 'analysis' trotted out by people who can't explain why things have in fact gone wrong.

That was the party line with Downing, who hasn't set the world on fire since being rescued from the expectation.

 

[Rosco]

Lovren has one decent season under his belt playing in a team that rarely exposed its centre backs.

He arrived into the opposite situation here and now we're seeing how good he is. Southampton sold us a lemon (or two)

This isn't some great mystery. It's a scouting problem - If we can't figure out why a particular player is doing well you can't project how he'll do for you.

But if you use Ronnie Whelans analysis then this is all one big unlucky mystery and the people making these decisions are just unfortunate.

 

[Judge Jules]

Downing has been playing extremely well for W.Ham and is one of the main reasons why they've got as high as they have in the table.

I actually agree that it's a scouting problem and part of that problem may well be a failure of on-field analysis, but IMO there's more to it than just that in the cases Whelan had in mind. Another thing I suspect we didn't do is look carefully enough at their mental toughness.

 

[cloggypop]

Downing is much improved at West Ham.

It is wrong to judge Lovren on a missed pelanty though. That's not what we bought him for. I am going to judge him on being a bit shit instead.

 

[peterhague]

The folly of signing players for exorbitant fees on the back of one good year in the Prem. A lesson we seemingly struggle to learn.

Scott Sincair's started pretty well at Villa.

Rodgers had him at Swansea, and we're already well-stocked in his position.

You heard it here first.

 

[Oncy]

I thought he was good today.

 

[Fabio]

He looked shaky to start with, but he adapted and grew in to the game well

 

[gkmacca]

I think he deserves a bit of time. He's had a hellish time but he's showing signs of improvement.

 

[Hansern]

He was good today. Very good bar a few shaky moments.

Re his Soton time. Didnt anyone actually watch them? He was covering for Luke Shaw, who was bombing up and down all game, I'd call that exposed. On the other side you've got Clyne, also very attacking. Christ.

 

[Markeh]

This is incredibly harsh but I didn't like his celebration of the Coutinho goal, hug my team mate? Nah I'd rather pose for the camera.

 

[Mystic]

He was decent today, he's distribution was shocking in the first half though, it really showed how much we miss Sakho in that department. Got better in the second half, I think that's because he was under strict orders just to pass it fast and low to Coutinho.

 

[darkstarexodus]

This is incredibly harsh but I didn't like his celebration of the Coutinho goal, hug my team mate? Nah I'd rather pose for the camera.

I noticed that too but I'm willing to let it slide. The camera caught him sky one over the bar on Thursday. He can show his pearly whites today.

 

[Mersey86]

This is incredibly harsh but I didn't like his celebration of the Coutinho goal, hug my team mate? Nah I'd rather pose for the camera.

I know what you mean, but I found it funny. And maybe his confidence is not that low if he can preen like that.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Once Sakho is back, he'll go back to the bench, so this is the time for him to really put in a good shift to keep the beast out. As I'd mentioned before, I liked how Rodgers was managing him leading up to these last two games, giving him minutes as a sub when we moved Can to CM, thus allowing him to slowly get back into the team and build his confidence and familiarity with how the team now functions. I do think it's as a result of that careful management, that Lovren didn't stick out like a sore thumb in these two games.

He wasn't brilliant today, but he was still pretty decent despite the couple of mistakes he made. Those might have been costly and at least one of them would certainly have been earlier in the season, but thankfully, the team defence is more resilient now with Skrtel at the peak of his powers again and Mig playing at his best level since joining us (though he did seem to make a couple of poor decisions in the game).

When he views the tape with the staff at the post-game analysis today, I expect him to be pulled up for over-committing too early for Aguero's chance, and a couple of his positional errors while Moreno was out wide defending. He'll have to soak in those lessons fast and apply them if he wants to get more starts, and because we can't afford to keep buying new CBs every season.

Still hope in him yet.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Those might have been costly and at least one of them would certainly have been earlier in the season, but thankfully, the team defence is more resilient now with Skrtel at the peak of his powers again and Mig playing at his best level since joining us (though he did seem to make a couple of poor decisions in the game).

I thought that Mignolet didn't do much wrong tbh. When he was unsure whether he would make it to the ball first (versus Aguero) he was totally correct to retreat.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

I thought that Mignolet didn't do much wrong tbh. When he was unsure whether he would make it to the ball first (versus Aguero) he was totally correct to retreat.

Having just gone back to see it a few times again, yeah I think you're right. At that time, I thought he should've come out strong and early, but looking at it again now, it was quite some distance from the box, the box was bouncing, and with Skrtel and Can chasing, it was a tricky decision to make. Him coming off a bit narrowed the angle, limiting Aguero to a shot straight through his legs or to the far post (and he caught the post).

That's twice now in these 2 weeks that he's faced a familiar situation against an old foe last season and survived.

 

[jexykrodic]

I suspect he'll be kept on and will adapt and improve to the situation. The passing of a summer will see him set up in the new season with less expectation on his shoulders.

 

[Hansern]

This is incredibly harsh but I didn't like his celebration of the Coutinho goal, hug my team mate? Nah I'd rather pose for the camera.

I saw the game again last night and didnt see this? I saw him celebrating towards the crowd and then jump in the big pile of players with Coutinho. Was all normal to me, but maybe I missed something.

 

[nealmac]

Lovren has one decent season under his belt playing in a team that rarely exposed its centre backs.

Thanks. I've been saying this since we fucking signed him

 

[Markeh]

I saw the game again last night and didnt see this? I saw him celebrating towards the crowd and then jump in the big pile of players with Coutinho. Was all normal to me, but maybe I missed something.

I know it's probably nothing but I found it weird he struck a pose rather than jumping on Coutinho like most would do.

 

[Dirkus_Circus]

I thought he was poor again in the first half but he must have flipped a switch at half time because he was excellent in the second half.

Probably the best he has played this season IMO, his passing was first rate and a lot more Sakho like as he was routinely getting the ball forward quickly and made some really impressive tackles. In the first half he had me tearing my hair out because of his giveaways, probably 3-4 in the half.

He still passes it back to Ming far too often as well which is a recipe for disaster but overall his second half was great.

 

[Nir.Barak]

He was OK yesterday but I reckon he will never be a top CB,
He makes some unbelievable rookie mistakes at times,
this is one from yesterday in which he's sliding to block Aguero's shot when he shouldn't be doing that at all and Aguero is gifted a clear shot at goal.

 

[ILD]

I know it's probably nothing but I found it weird he struck a pose rather than jumping on Coutinho like most would do.

He fucking loves himself. I had a thread up about it before.

http://sixcrazyminutes.com/index.php?threads/dejan-loves-himself.56698/

 

[Tinto]

He was OK yesterday but I reckon he will never be a top CB,
He makes some unbelievable rookie mistakes at times,
this is one from yesterday in which he's sliding to block Aguero's shot when he shouldn't be doing that at all and Aguero is gifted a clear shot at goal.

That's just absolutely wonderful play by Aguero!

 

[Squiggles]

Lovren's shite, has been most of the season, and looks a disaster of a signing. Maybe we didn't predict the rise of Sakho or the effectiveness of Can as a CB, but considering we've increased the number of a CB's on the pitch and our £20M signing can't get a game then it's only right for some serious questions to be asked.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

That's just absolutely wonderful play by Aguero!

You're either whooshing us, or you haven't looked closely enough. 😉

Aguero's move and pass for their goal - pulling 3 defenders and the eyes of 3 others with him - was superstar play. This one was just Lovren making his work easy with an amateurish mistake which Skrtel used to make. Lovren stays on his feet and there's a chance Aguero can be forced to the touchline or he'll turn back into a cul de sac with Moreno closing in. That dive just made Aguero's shot possible.

Credit to Mignolet for getting his position right - I think even if Aguero hadnt shot wide but right inside the post, Mig would've gotten a hand to it.

 

[Tinto]

You're either whooshing us, or you haven't looked closely enough. 😉

Aguero's move and pass for their goal - pulling 3 defenders and the eyes of 3 others with him - was superstar play. This one was just Lovren making his work easy with an amateurish mistake which Skrtel used to make. Lovren stays on his feet and there's a chance Aguero can be forced to the touchline or he'll turn back into a cul de sac with Moreno closing in. That dive just made Aguero's shot possible.

Credit to Mignolet for getting his position right - I think even if Aguero hadnt shot wide but right inside the post, Mig would've gotten a hand to it.

My take on it is that Lovren dived in the way he did was to block a potential shot... it certainly wasn't to win the ball because he was nowhere near it. I thought Aguero had sold Lovren a dummy but I'm not sure of that now having watched it again.

Still a lovely first touch, some quick feet by Aguero to get a shooting chance. It was Suarez like. I'm not convinced some strikers like, say, Costa would have the skill to manage it.

Lovren has defended worse (worst? Get confused between those two) than that before and Aguero with the ball inside your penalty area will cause many a defender to panic.

I hate how Lovren get too close to an opposing player and gets turns so easily when outside the penalty area though. It happened in this match in the second half. That was properly rubbish.

 

[Judge Jules]

My take on it is that Lovren dived in the way he did was to block a potential shot... it certainly wasn't to win the ball because he was nowhere near it. I thought Aguero had sold Lovren a dummy but I'm not sure of that now having watched it again.

Still a lovely first touch, some quick feet by Aguero to get a shooting chance. It was Suarez like. I'm not convinced some strikers like, say, Costa would have the skill to manage it.

Lovren has defended worse (worst? Get confused between those two) than that before and Aguero with the ball inside your penalty area will cause many a defender to panic.

I hate how Lovren get too close to an opposing player and gets turns so easily when outside the penalty area though. It happened in this match in the second half. That was properly rubbish.

No need to. "Worse" = more bad than something else in the same category. "Worst" = more bad than anything else in that category. You were right the first time. 🙂

 

[Hansern]

I know it's probably nothing but I found it weird he struck a pose rather than jumping on Coutinho like most would do.

Maybe, I just think you'll find pictures like this after every goal with other players.
He jumped on him seconds later.

Lovren has looked better after being out of the side. Hopefully he'll continue and rediscover his form and quality from last season.