According to Martin Skrtel, who played every minute of every Liverpool Premier League game last season, 2010/11 has been his best year in Liverpool colours yet. According to the Liverpool Echo, the Slovakian reckons he has proven a lot of people wrong this season:
“It’s probably been my best season, because I have played every single game – but it would have been better if the results had been better. When I came here, a lot of people talked about the way I play, and many said I didn’t have the quality to play for Liverpool.”
I have to say that despite Skrtel’s new found confidence and enthusiasm, I still don’t rate him as a player. If Liverpool want to be challenging for silverware next season, I don’t think they can afford to grant him a starting berth in their squad. Liverpool need to make acquiring a new centre-back a summer priority.
I grant that he was only as bad as the rest of the team was under the management of Roy Hodgson and that since Kenny Dalglish has taken over he’s looked like a quality player. I hope that people don’t grant too much importance to the fact that he’s played every minute of Liverpool’s Premier League campaign this season. This happened because he has been the only Liverpool defender to stay fit.
I’d argue that the fact that Skrtel’s played every game this season is evidence of a lack of depth in Liverpool’s squad – especially given how low his form dipped during Hodgson’s tenure. His defending tends to be somewhat on the nervous side and when he’s lacking in confidence he’s particularly mistake prone.
He doesn’t have the natural ability to read the game as well as Jamie Carragher and isn’t as comfortable on the ball as Daniel Agger. The fact is, Martin Skrtel fails to fill Liverpool fans with confidence and can often look like he’s all set to fly in and give away a dangerous free-kick or a penalty.
Given his unreliability, I’d argue that Skrtel should at most be utilised as a squad player. Kenny has a lot of work to do during the summer bolstering his back four and I hope that the right decisions are made. To challenge for silverware once more Liverpool will need a strong base. A dependable, tough new centre-back may be able to provide just that.
Despite Skrtel’s ubiquitous presence this season, I hope he takes something of a backseat next year.
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Spot on Harry. Not the same player after Man City injury. You also forgot to mention he is a poor header of a ball, fifty pence head !
I would say that it is you, who is wrong!
He did not play well under Hodgson but he is superb under Dalglish. So depend on how you motivate and play him, he could be an important asset in the future.
What a bunch of arse!
Browny’s right, you talk rubbish!
What an odd title.
Our best defender this year, and you set up an article based on him being a liability.
I disagree with your analysis, but each to their own. But why set out by setting up such a strange supposition?
i disagree with everything you’ve said..most Liverpool fans say that Agger is our best defender,he can shoot,he can score,he can pass,he can dribble,blah blah blah……..BUT WHEN??IF YOU ARE INJURED 3 TIMES EVERY SEASON,I DONT CARE IF YOU HAVE TOP CLASS QUALITIES!!!Skrtel hasnt missed a game this season,proved a lot of doubters wrong and he might have made mistakes,but he never got injured and fought harder and harder.in our 4 centerbacks(Carragher,Skrtel,Agger,Kyrgiakos) i rate Skrtel the best.Carragher is 33 years old(we all love Jamie,but he is getting old),Agger is a player i’d sell at summer cauz i’m too angry with him getting so many injuries and Kyrgiakos should have become a basketball player,not a football!!KEEP THE GOOD PERFORMANCES MARTIN!!YNWA
You really shouldn’t get angry at players for being injured. That is a massive waste of emotional energy, on something you can do nothing about. Agger is the best centre back, in footballing terms, at our club. If our super med dept can get dan sorted out then he will be top next year. There are so many more high priorities than a centre back this summer. We have 6 centre backs currently and no recognised wide players. I think that tells you all you need to know about where our transfer priorities lie.
as a matter of fact we need strong center backs , pacy wingers and defense splitters i suggest we go in for kwadwo asamoah of udinese he is a good player.
If Skrtel is our best defender this season we desperately need a centre-back or two, cuz I agree he’s making stupid and unnessesary fouls, is not strong in the air and very uncomfortable on the ball. He’s just taking up space!
i agree i think hes a liability at the back so many goals conceded due to him giving away silly frees then getting beat in the air from resulting kick. it might have been his best season but it was liverpools worst what does that tell you. we need a top CB whos really good in the air still havnt replaced big sammy.
the lads just had his best season ever, and he played really well for most of it! he’s still young and approaching his peak, he’ll be a top defender in a season or two, you’re just too busy trying to grab a headline to realise that! how would you feel if someone called you a liability after you’d just written your best article ever? save your negative articles, you’re a crap writer!
I completely agree with you. He may have been the fittest defender this season, but he’s far far from the best defender we have. Every time I see him making a tackle or he’s about to make one in the penalty area I get the shivers. And I never get that feeling when Agger or Caragher are in that same position.
He’d be a decent sub, that’s all.
I have to agree.
we neen a top class centre half look at utd and barca chelsea, etc martin is not a liability he can play alongside such a player.
I TOTALLY agree.
Absolutely, and positively see all that you mentioned over a long period of time.
Skrtel has been a good serving player for LFC.
He is, as you say, nervous on the ball when not confident, doesnt read the game anywhere nearly as well as Carragher, and has shown that he is always chasing the ball.
Just look when Jamie is at centre back, he is always goal side, and always in a position to hinder the striker or opposing players.
Skrtel on the other hand, is always chasing the ball.
Take nothing away from the man, hes done a good job for the team, but to challenge for every title that Liverpool Football Club encounter, we would certainly need a more commanding centre back than Skrtel.
Jamie’s taken a media bashing over the last few seasons, and if you look at the times goals have past our net, you’ll always see Skrtel totally out of position and Jamie having to cover his position and Skrtels.
We need a player who naturally reads the game as well as Carragher, and who is as die hard as our 23 Carra Gold defender that we have known and loved through all these years.
Again, take nothing away from Skrtel, but we need another centre back to take our rightful place among the footballing elite.
I totally agree. Martin has been a good soldier but he is not a commander.
Totally agree. Better refs would have called him for more penalties with his ridiculously obvious shirt pulling. Gets beaten in the air too often. Dives in rather than keeping his feet. Meh..
he gave his best. dont blame one defender for the mistakes of 10 other players
Complete cack…Skrtel is no liability, the only liabilities Liverpool have is fans who agree with this crap. He gives away silly free kicks…you can say that about any defender in the world…idiot.
He is a liability (at times) and I suggest that anyone who doesn’t agree with this doesn’t actually go to any games!
I would say they don’t play much football either. If you have ever played with a player like that you would know and understand he is a liability. He always looks stretched and under pressure when up against half decent forwards. Can you imagine if he had to play against Barca???
Skrtel is far from a good DF. Look at the goal we conceded and you can write his name to 40% of them. He did get better after Kenny came along, but he´s is still not top class and should be sold.
Cannot be easy playing alongside many different partners including Kyriacos (not LFC material).
Also look at the number of goals conceded since KK took over, don’t look at the whole season, if you wish to do & make unintelligent remarks then go & join the Republik of F**king MANURNIA.
I doubt you have ever kicked a bloody football!
I think you’re being a little harsh on Martin but I would agree a new CB is a must and Martin should be used as squad player next season
Agreed. No need to blow him out. He could benefit from having a top defender, like Carra in his prime, to teach him how to do it. I don’t doubt he gives his all, he just needs to learn his position a bit better.