Martin Skrtel has recently hinted at a move away from Anfield after branding Liverpool’s latest contract offer “unacceptable”. So, should the Reds be looking to upgrade this summer?
It almost seems inevitable that Liverpool will have to make defensive reinforcements during the transfer market.
An appalling finish to the 2014/15 campaign, that saw the Reds concede nine goals in the final two games, spoiled a once solid defensive record and highlighted the need for a comprehensive review of the squad.
This continued an unwanted trend, that for the fifth successive season, has seen Liverpool let in between 40 and 50 goals during a Premier League campaign.
Over the years numerous defenders have paid the price for such inadequacies, most notably Daniel Agger last summer. The experienced centre-back, who partnered Skrtel for a number of years, departed Anfield for a nominal fee. However, the Slovakian international has remained a key part of the Reds’ defence, despite continued poor performances and unfulfilled potential.
The 30-year-old started 48 of Liverpool’s 58 matches last season having established himself as the first-choice central-defender, despite the arrival of Croatian Dejan Lovren.
One of the major disappointments of the 2014/15 campaign has been the calamitous partnership between the two experienced Premier League defenders. When paired together, Skrtel and Lovren kept just two clean sheets. In those 13 games, Liverpool conceded 21 goals. Add to this the 10 defensive errors between the two and there is a firm understanding of the issues they face.
Brendan Rodgers’ decision to revert to a 3-4-2-1 formation proved to be a masterstroke, but only a short-term solution. Lovren was rightly dropped and Skrtel was moved more centrally, with Emre Can and Mamadou Sakho either side of him.
The passing ability of Can and Sakho in wide areas enabled Liverpool to build from the back and allowed Skrtel to focus on his natural game.
The Eastern European is very much an old school centre-back. He is brave, powerful and commanding – all the qualities of a leader.
First and foremost, his priority is to clear the ball and be competitive in aerial duels. Clearances are perhaps the strongest point of Skrtel’s game and last season he made an average of 10.39 per game, more than any other Liverpool player.
Perhaps not the most attractive style, and certainly not one that would adhere to Rodgers’ philosophy of playing out from the back, but this no-nonsense approach excels in a three-man defence.
However, while it became almost impossible to predict Rodgers’ starting XI for the 2014/15 season, it is expected that he will return to a more conventional back four during the next campaign.
Since that public and unceremonious exit just hours before the Merseyside derby at Anfield last September, Sakho now appears to be the genuine first-choice central-defender. Who will partner him in the heart of defence?
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Skrtel is set to enter the final 12 months of his Liverpool contract this summer and has publically stated his discontent regarding a tabled offer.
The nature of the contract of ‘appearance-based clauses’ means that he will have to play a high percentage of matches in order to receive the full salary. Without a concrete guarantee of a regular first-team football, it is a predicament that will not favour both parties.
It is a tricky situation for both club and player. Does Rodgers stick or twist?
Skrtel will turn 31 later this year and whether the No. 37 is seen as a decisive part of the future is a major doubt. By rejecting a new deal and with an inevitable overhaul again this summer, the writing may well be on the wall for the Kop veteran.
Liverpool face a critical 12 months as they begin life without talisman Steven Gerrard. If Rodgers is capable of returning the Reds to former glories then he has to be bold in the forthcoming transfer market.
What the Reds decide to do with Skrtel will prove definitive one way or the other.
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Veteran? He’s 30 not 33 and older! Skrtel has plenty left in the tank and is worth a 3 year contract with the first 2 years being non-performance based.
Veteran? He’s 30 not 33 and older! Skrtel has plenty left in the tank and is worth a 3 year contract with the first 2 years being non-performance based.
Veteran? He’s 30 not 33 and older! Skrtel has plenty left in the tank and is worth a 3 year contract with the first 2 years being non-performance based.