If your first sentence is true, your second is nonsense.
Skrtel
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If your first sentence is true, your second is nonsense.
[article=http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8904677]Martin Skrtel claims to have given no thought to leaving Liverpool over the summer and is taking aim at the top four.
Regular rounds of speculation suggested that Skrtel could have been on his way out of Anfield prior to Monday's deadline - with former Reds boss Rafa Benitez reported to be keen on a reunion with the no-nonsense centre-half at Napoli.
Skrtel has, however, revealed that no move was ever discussed as it was made clear to him that no sale would be sanctioned.
The Slovakia international is delighted to still be on Merseyside, after five-and-a-half years in England, and says an impressive performance in a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday was not a result of him trying to justify his continued presence in Brendan Rodgers' plans.
Skrtel told SITA: "I'm staying at Liverpool. The rumours were never as strong as it was made out.
"There has been no contact with other clubs because the Liverpool management told me that they were counting on me. That is why a transfer was never in my plans.
"I have never considered it (the United game) to be a chance to show that I deserve to stay at Liverpool. It was a big derby but, on the other hand, it was also just another league game."
Skrtel has seen his position come under threat from new recruits Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori, but the 28-year-old says he welcomes added competition for places.
He added: "Players come, players leave, it's a normal thing and we will see how it develops."
Liverpool have opened the new season with three successive 1-0 wins and Skrtel believes they should be setting their sights on a top-four finish, regardless of the improvements made elsewhere.
He said: "You may say that the number of clubs competing is increasing from one year to the next. Again we have seen clubs spending big sums of money - (Manchester) City, Tottenham, Chelsea and even Arsenal.
"Competition is big but when I look at how we have played, I would say that we belong in the top four."[/article]
Its interesting to see that interview. I for one wasn't surprised at how well Skrtel played, he is a good player.
After such a tedious wait i'm sure all of us are pleased with the business we have done yesterday but when compared to our competitors I cant help but feel we have not spent wisely over the whole window.
Last season was pretty much a dogs dinner all over. Up front we had kids until Christmas, Borini was injured, Allen flopped, Lucas badly injured/recovering, Downing just lacking in every respect, Gerrard re-tasked etc... Many of us were quick to comment on the sloppy goals we were conceding, and they were fucking woeful, but I don't think that was necessarily the problem, in general we were lacking all over the park and it knocked the stuffing out of us confidence wise. It was pretty horrific and basically over by Christmas.
IMO the players at the back definitely struggled to adapt to our new system of play and the spotlight fell on them because we were not doing the business up-front.
I am not so sure that spending 30M on a goalkeeper and 2 centre backs was our priority, and judging by looking to spend big on Miktharian and then Willian it seems Rodgers agreed. So why spend so much on players at the back?? It is true Skrtel had a poor season last season as did Reina to an extent but both were good players, IMO we needed midfielders not defenders, sadly I think we still do. I hope that the improved morale and good start in the camp is going to be enough to see us leapfrog those above us but with the players Spurs, Arse, Chelsea and City have bought I suspect we will still not have enough goal threat.
I really hope i'm wrong.
After such a tedious wait i'm sure all of us are pleased with the business we have done yesterday but when compared to our competitors I cant help but feel we have not spent wisely over the whole window.
Last season was pretty much a dogs dinner all over. Up front we had kids until Christmas, Borini was injured, Allen flopped, Lucas badly injured/recovering, Downing just lacking in every respect, Gerrard re-tasked etc... Many of us were quick to comment on the sloppy goals we were conceding, and they were fucking woeful, but I don't think that was necessarily the problem, in general we were lacking all over the park and it knocked the stuffing out of us confidence wise. It was pretty horrific and basically over by Christmas.
IMO the players at the back definitely struggled to adapt to our new system of play and the spotlight fell on them because we were not doing the business up-front.
I am not so sure that spending 30M on a goalkeeper and 2 centre backs was our priority, and judging by looking to spend big on Miktharian and then Willian it seems Rodgers agreed. So why spend so much on players at the back?? It is true Skrtel had a poor season last season as did Reina to an extent but both were good players, IMO we needed midfielders not defenders, sadly I think we still do. I hope that the improved morale and good start in the camp is going to be enough to see us leapfrog those above us but with the players Spurs, Arse, Chelsea and City have bought I suspect we will still not have enough goal threat.
I really hope i'm wrong.
The way we press up the field, we were crying out for a centre back or two with pace so we don't look so vulnerable when we lose possession and teams break.
Kolo still seems to have good speed and is faster than Skrtel and Agger. Sahko is supposed to be quicker. Ilori is ultra quick. I can see that these signings are logical for how Rodgers wants the team to play over the next few years.
I'd imagine next summer will be all about bringing in a midfielder or two, plus Suarez's replacement.
Kolo still seems to have good speed and is faster than Skrtel and Agger. Sahko is supposed to be quicker. Ilori is ultra quick. I can see that these signings are logical for how Rodgers wants the team to play over the next few years.
I'd imagine next summer will be all about bringing in a midfielder or two, plus Suarez's replacement.
Where's Glock.
Indeed, and for that matter Agger's not much less so.
The big man was fucking immense on Sunday. Didn't put a foot wrong.
Made all the more impressive that he knew he was only playing because Kolo was out and we were on the verge of signing 2 new centre backs on Sunday...easy thing would have been to switch off and sulk.
Great pro and top player.
Made all the more impressive that he knew he was only playing because Kolo was out and we were on the verge of signing 2 new centre backs on Sunday...easy thing would have been to switch off and sulk.
Great pro and top player.
Skrtel is totally soft. He's as hard as a marshmallow.
You reckon? Kolo seems quicker to me...
Odd that we'd tell him he's staying with the amount of CBs we have.
My opinion too. I think he shades Skrtel and Agger, not by much, but coupled with his power, is significant enough to make a difference in one-to-ones.
I suspect Toure's injury and the lateness of Sakho's transfer scuppered a potential move away. Depending on Toure's fitness and how quickly Sakho settles in, I can see him leaving in the winter window.
0-60 figures (courtesy of Melwood 'over-the-wall' hand-held Timex)
Skrtel : 8.6 secs
Agger : 8.8 secs
Toure : 6.4 secs
So he's much quicker.
That's not a surprise at all. Agger isn't that quick and toure is able to keep up with sterling even off the ball.
How refreshing is it when a players actually has to pull his finger out and play at a high level to justify his place, as opposed to playing like a cunt after managing to secure a brand new long term contract with a tasty wage increase.
Skrtel needs to play like this consistently - then he might be deserving of a place in the team.
Skrtel needs to play like this consistently - then he might be deserving of a place in the team.
I agree Stevie, but this all seems a bit rich and selective really. Since the break up of our best defense, players have struggled for consistency. Maybe they're not good enough, maybe it's just a sign of how good the Hyypia era defense was. Since Sami's departure though, Agger, Carragher and Skrtel have all come under fire, others have failed and moved on. I don't think Skrtel's been any more guilty than others and he played a major part in largely successful CL campaigns and us finishing runners up. The "hoof" claims earlier in this thread are laughable, he's technically a bit lesser a player than some defenders, but he's not particularly bad technically either. He's a relative threat from setpieces, throws himself in where it hurts and is pretty quick and decent enough at bringing the ball out from the back on a occasion.
This argument that he's some way off Agger technically should at least be stemmed by the fact that he's also someway off how technically inferior Carragher was (and it didn't do his career any harm).
He's a good centre back who was showing good form and raising a few eyebrows with the big spending teams, at peak age and on the cusp of either pushing on or stagnating and showing what his actual level is. I don't think Agger's form has particularly improved opinion, he is what he is, the same breed, a good solid centre back who's good enough to play for a big club but isn't by any stretch of the imagination infallible. So I don't really dig this constant "he needs to do this everyweek", of course he does, but people should apply the same ruling to those that take his place. He was the scapegoat last year for a defense with mistakes all over, an ageing keeper, a hapless understudy, indifferent form from our centre backs and a mistake ridden right back. The similarity to Carragher in terms of being an out and out ball winner and gritty defender was his downfall, because he always going to be the one who made way, simply due to their similarity.
People talk as though he's an accident waiting to happen (Kris certainly has on many occasion). It's amazing that people talk up Agger's game so much but seem keener to overlook the errors. If Skrtel had dived in as Agger did on RVP on Sunday and got left for dead like that, there would have been a different level of focus on the incident. As it was, we got away with it and it barely got mentioned. Defenders make mistakes, Skrtel's aren't particularly more frequent nor any more calamitous than what we've seen from our other recent candidates at the back.
We've got three very good lads there, and we've just added two more, he deserves a chance as much as any to make the position his own.
I'm not sure I believe that....he's on course for a sub 11 second 100m there which would put him in contention for international athletics honours...
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