Prior to the emergence this season of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel as a formidable defensive partnership, Liverpool were strongly linked with a January move for Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen. Rumours have cooled in recent months, but the Belgian star has made it clear once again that he has a burning desire to play in the Premier League, which could be good news for Kenny Dalglish if he decides to strength Liverpool's back line in the summer.
At the end of January, Ajax manager Frank De Boer told Eredivisie Live that Vertonghen's exit at the end of this season was a distinct possibility. He said:
"We know that his contract expires in 2013, so it's either renew or relocate to a good foreign club, where Ajax would also benefit from a transfer fee".
At the end of February, Vertonghen - who has a €20m release clause in his contract - spoke in glowing terms about the Premier League:
"I think my game can be suited to English football. I love the atmosphere and it has the best players in the world. A lot of my colleagues from the national team play here [the Premier League] and some are calling me to come.
"It’s a beautiful competition, the best in my opinion. To play for a team in the Premier League would be amazing and that’s what I am going for".
The Ajax Captain was coy about whether any concrete offers had come in for his services, but he admitted that he was flattered by rumours linking him with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City:
"I can’t say anything about whether there has been contact about a transfer but It’s flattering to be linked with clubs, the rumours give me confidence but I just try to do my best every game".
Yesterday, Vertonghen reiterated his desire to play in the Premier League:
"I hear a lot of good things about English football. If a club can reach an agreement with Ajax, then I will gladly go over. I have instructed my agent carefully, and he knows which clubs I want to join, and Arsenal are one of them"
Are Liverpool one of the clubs Vertonghen wants to join? Is the club still interested? Irrespective of the form shown by Skrtel and Agger, Liverpool arguably still needs another top-class centre-back, so let's hope so.
I'm still not 100% convinced that Skrtel-Agger is the right long-term solution for Liverpool. I don't feel the same confidence I did when the likes of Sami Hyypia and a younger Jamie Carragher were patrolling the defence.
As we've seen quite a few times recently, Skrtel is still prone to concentration lapses, (Cisse's goal for Newcastle last weekend is a prime example) and Agger sometimes gets turned quite easily by pacy strikers. In a defensive partnership, I believe you need at least one rock-solid defender who rarely makes mistakes (i.e. Hyypia). The duo were excellent for a few months but I still feel something else is needed.
Check out the brilliant piece of skill at 1:42
Jaimie Kanwar
At the end of January, Ajax manager Frank De Boer told Eredivisie Live that Vertonghen's exit at the end of this season was a distinct possibility. He said:
"We know that his contract expires in 2013, so it's either renew or relocate to a good foreign club, where Ajax would also benefit from a transfer fee".
At the end of February, Vertonghen - who has a €20m release clause in his contract - spoke in glowing terms about the Premier League:
"I think my game can be suited to English football. I love the atmosphere and it has the best players in the world. A lot of my colleagues from the national team play here [the Premier League] and some are calling me to come.
"It’s a beautiful competition, the best in my opinion. To play for a team in the Premier League would be amazing and that’s what I am going for".
The Ajax Captain was coy about whether any concrete offers had come in for his services, but he admitted that he was flattered by rumours linking him with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City:
"I can’t say anything about whether there has been contact about a transfer but It’s flattering to be linked with clubs, the rumours give me confidence but I just try to do my best every game".
Yesterday, Vertonghen reiterated his desire to play in the Premier League:
"I hear a lot of good things about English football. If a club can reach an agreement with Ajax, then I will gladly go over. I have instructed my agent carefully, and he knows which clubs I want to join, and Arsenal are one of them"
Are Liverpool one of the clubs Vertonghen wants to join? Is the club still interested? Irrespective of the form shown by Skrtel and Agger, Liverpool arguably still needs another top-class centre-back, so let's hope so.
I'm still not 100% convinced that Skrtel-Agger is the right long-term solution for Liverpool. I don't feel the same confidence I did when the likes of Sami Hyypia and a younger Jamie Carragher were patrolling the defence.
As we've seen quite a few times recently, Skrtel is still prone to concentration lapses, (Cisse's goal for Newcastle last weekend is a prime example) and Agger sometimes gets turned quite easily by pacy strikers. In a defensive partnership, I believe you need at least one rock-solid defender who rarely makes mistakes (i.e. Hyypia). The duo were excellent for a few months but I still feel something else is needed.
Check out the brilliant piece of skill at 1:42
Jaimie Kanwar
carra should retire nd play coates more we dont really need another Cb provided agger can stay fit.
ReplyDeleteWhat if Agger doesn't stay fit?
ReplyDeletemore transfer garbage from attention seeker jamie
ReplyDeleteAre you fucking kidding me? Agger and Skrtel is a perfect partnership. The only negative is that Agger is Injury prone. Cant believe that I jus tread this bullcrap. Yh, sure Vertonghen would be nice, but not for that fee. Priority has to be attackers.
ReplyDeleteSkrtel and Agger will be a great partnership if both stay fit. just look at results since Agger got injured. Another benefit with Agger is his ability to bring the ball forward and create chances for others, or even his tendency for a pop shot from distance. Hyypia IMO was the best defender we had in many years not just because of his ability at the back but his goal threat in the air. Skrtel has shown he can be a great attribute from corners etc as well as can Agger.
ReplyDeleteAgger , Skrtel , Coates , Kelly , Carra think we could do more with 20 mil. , than buy another centre halve
ReplyDeleteCan't see us getting him. Aggers misses half a season every year, plus we would'nt have a centre back if he played with Agger as they both like to get forward. Carras had it now, Coates should play, get used to EPL for next year.
ReplyDeleteNo mention of Coates?
ReplyDeleteSktel has been back to his best if you judge him over a season and not a couple of mistakes!!! Any player due to have a few lapses in concentration, even the mighty Hyypia was prone to the most obvious error but judge him over his whole time at LFC he was class.
ReplyDeleteTo me Skrtel and Agger partnership has been rock solid, if Agger had not been injured we would not have been conceding the amount of goals we have recently.
We must move forward, blood younger players through who can hopefully play for next 10 years, whether that means Coates and if he can adapt to premier League we will see, I hope so anyhow.
Hyypia hardly ever made mistakes. The only time I can remember him ever being beaten for a header that led to a goal was against Newcastle once, when Alan Shearer scored near the end of the game.
ReplyDeleteSkrtel's excellent form this season is the exception, not the rule; If you look over his entire career with LFC, concentration lapses and mistakes are most prevalent, not brilliant defending.
This season, he's stepped it up a gear for a few months, but now he's reverted to the same old Skrtel: making mistakes. Over the last two months, he's been directly responsible for Liverpool quite a few goals in the league, and most of the time, it's due to bad positioning, and being beaten in the air for headers.
that shows you he shouldn't play with carragher, without carra he is a much better defender
ReplyDeleteVertonghen would be a good signing, he is a left sided centreback who can cover for Agger and also he can also play defensive midfield position so its an incentive and we won't have to buy a defensive midfielder and he is comfortable with the ball at his feet and scores few goals too.
ReplyDeleteCarra should retire we don't need his onfield screams.
ReplyDeleteAgreed,
ReplyDeleteCarra screams at others for no reason he doesn't provide assists or score goals.
All the other Centre backs have scored this season with the exception of Carragher, he's a liability
We pretty much had the best defence before Agger was injured. Skrtel has improved 10-fold. His confidence is obvious - much more commanding in the air, both in defence and attack - and moves the ball around nicely. Doesn't dive in recklessly as much as he used to and covers really well for others. Coates looks VERY shaky at the back. I am hoping it is just nerves and the adjustment phase.
ReplyDeleteCoates wasn't at fault for any of the goals against Qpr but looks like he's paying the price.Also scored a cracking goal.Copa America winner with Uruguay..must be wondering why he signed for Liverpool.Skyrtel has improved with games but cant be trusted 100%.. Coates would improve with more games too.
ReplyDeleteagger unfortunatelty will never last a full season.that's why we need top clas cover,unfortunately this season carra looks like his best days are beyond him.huge improvement in skrtel for most of this season but he's been shabby the last few weeks when he should be stepping up to the mark as an experienced senior player.
ReplyDeletei'd like to see coates starting ahead of carra,how else is he going to get experience,he's even said he thought he'd have gotten more games by now.
we've also been linked with raul albiol and i reckon there's a better chance of getting him.
Well said mate, we have plenty boys to do the job. If we need another than we can pick up someone cheaper.
ReplyDeleteWould be a good versatile player and definitely good enough to be a first teamer but are we in a position to spend big on a area of a team that doesn't need as much as investment as say up front or the wing?
ReplyDeleteCome on Jamie i bet if we really watched every game Hypia played then we could find a few mistakes you just remember 1, funny that but if you never liked him i'd say you would have found more.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny how KK has played Adam, Carroll, Henerson and Downing from the start, yet he has left Coates on the bench 90% of the time he has been with us. Funny that.
ReplyDeleteSorry Henderson.
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny about it? Coates came from a different culture and a different league, all the others did not need to acclimatise, also for the position he is still very young
ReplyDeleteUntil Skrtel injured his Cruciate ligaments away at City 2 seasons ago he was showing signs of being a beast of a centre half! He has overcome The worst injury in football and possibly nearly back to his best.
ReplyDeleteTo me it is clear and obvious, mistakes have started happening once Agger went out the team, with them in partnership they seem to bring the best out of him, similar to Carragher when he played with Hyypia.
I have no obvious examples but pretty sure in 10 years at LFC, Sami Hyypia cost LFC more than 1 goal!
So you evaluate a defenders worth by how many goals he scores?
ReplyDeleteAs for Carragher screaming and shouting at others, he is a massive communicator and uses his experience to perfection with his organisation and tactical awareness.
If you were to say, too slow, poor positional play at times(RVP 1st goal few weeks ago)
I would agree!!!!!
was just thinking that myself!!!
ReplyDeletePersonally I think the club should be looking to replace Agger because he cant stay fit for a season and this is not good for a strong defence.
ReplyDeleteChi Bai lu, This is not yet tested in English fo0tball and not worth that price tag. My mother's Puki Mak says this all rubbish. Me, Ashfah dont love him.
ReplyDeletesktrel only has shockers when carra is playing alongside him for some reason. coates needs time, like any other player from outside the prem.
ReplyDelete20 mill would hopefully buy a player like adam johnson
Wouldn't spend £20M on an area where we have already been so strong for most of the season. £20M could be best spent on an area we DO need strengthening, either a Winger, or an out-n-out Goalscorer. IF Carragher retires, we should look to utilise Kelly at CB and start to use Flanaghan more at RB. Kelly is Tall, strong, good in the air, positionally very good and composed on and off the ball. He has alway simpressed me at CB when he was younger and whenever he has filled in so I don't see a reason why he shouldn't play there more often. Then we will have Kelly, Coates, Agger and Skrtel for CB, Johnson and Flanaghan for RB and hopefully Robinson pushing Enrique (Who I feel has deteriorated over the past month or so) for LB. I feel we need someone like Giroud (Top Scorer in France) Not a big name but maybe worth the Gamble? He is the main reason why Montpellier are top in France. But again signings depend on what formation/System we are going to go with. This season Dalglish has formed to real identity. We play the ball on the floor and we do pass and move better, but the formation and personnel changes have cost us. If we go with Carroll upfront (Not running round and dropping deep like he has been. Seriously, there have been many occasions were he has been too deep and unable to get on the end of crosses, although that hasn't been great either) Then we should sign a Right sided Winger. If we are going to go with 4-3-3 but with 2 wide forwards like Bellamy, Suarez and Maxi, then someone like Loic Remy could be ideal along with another striker. This means Henderson, although mostly poor, has the chance to settle in a position that suits his style (Which is in a central position, not on the right) Then maybe he might come good for us. Marseille are struggling like us, so maybe he will be tempted by the PL and our club. Also like the look of Sigursson at Swansea. At the quoted £8m would he be worth a punt?
ReplyDeleteCoates fills in for him.
ReplyDeleteFor the 1st half of the season we had the 2nd best defence record in the premiership... when Agger and Skrtel were both fit. Any money spent should go on attacking players as our goal scoring record is absolutely terrible.
We don't need a centre back as badly as we need pace on wings and a proven finisher
ReplyDeleteCarra, if you love LFC.. please retire. You're not Giggs. Your slow legs this season had cost us a few games. You can still mentor the younger players without playing yourself. Please, for the sake of the team.. please retire.
ReplyDeleteThink Kenny should play Coates until the end of the season to see what he is really made of. We all know Carra is past it. If Coates makes the grade, that could influence whether a top centre-back has to be a priority or whether we could afford to to take a gamble on someone competitive who could be top (in the Agger/Skrtel price range). If Coates is good enough, it'll free up money to be used for a striker, a playmaker or a winger, which I think could be more urgent.
ReplyDeleteVertonghen would be a good one and seeing he will be in the last year of his contract, we should make a saving. I do think Arsenal will snap him up though.
Speaking of players in the last year of their contract, we should try and get Huntelaar. 41 goals in 40 games this season. Messi and Ronaldo apart, that is unbeatable. Only 10 off being Holland's all-time top scorer. Got goals everywhere he has been. The fact he is 28 and will probably be playing CL football next year make it less likely but he should seriously be looked at.
Can speak Dutch too, allowing easy comms with Suarez.
His best place is defensive middfield not defender !
ReplyDeleteChow Chi Bai Ashfah Ngog, your mother's Puki Mak knows nothing.
ReplyDeleteOne or two world class centre backs are needed, this is a key area for winning things look through history and you will see. Agger and Skrtel are not consistent or top top class. How many clean sheets have we kept this season? Not many, we have to score 2 goals at least to win a game.
ReplyDeleteJesus we have enough centerbacks already, our problem is scoring goals
ReplyDeleteI know he was signed by the feared Benitez...but we do still have Danny Wilson? Rangers best youth prospect? SPL Young Player of the Year not too long ago, sent out on loan to gain experience? How will we ever find out if these players are good enough?
ReplyDelete