20 Jan 2016

Lawro blasts: £8m star isn't 'good enough' for Liverpool and he's 'gone backwards' since Spurs

After two cameo appearances as a makeshift striker, the allegedly 'fantastic' Steven Caulker is all set to make his full Liverpool debut against Exeter City tonight. Oh wait, he can't actually play against Exeter because he's cup-tied, which makes his signing even more irrelevant. Jurgen Klopp claims that Caulker is the 'best solution' to his team's defensive injury issues, but according to Reds legend Mark Lawrenson, the ex-Spurs star is nowhere near good enough to play for Liverpool.

In his column this week for the Liverpool Echo, Lawro delivered a withering verdict on Liverpool's decision to sign Caulker:

"I don’t think he [Caulker] is anywhere near good enough to become a regular for Liverpool. He couldn’t even get into QPR’s team. He seems to have gone backwards".

Ouch! It's hard to disagree, though, when Caulker doesn't appear to be trusted by his new manager. He could've played against either Arsenal or Manchester United, but Klopp decided to rush Sakho back from injury instead.

Then, when he deigned to give Caulker some pitch-time, J-Klo pulled a Brendan Rodgers and played him laughably out of position as a striker.

So - when exactly is Caulker going to start a game for Liverpool?

* Tonight is out, and given the dire situation in the league, Klopp will almost certainly play his senior centre-backs if they're fit (as he did against Man Utd and Arsenal)

* As confirmed by Klopp last week, Dejan Lovren is on the verge of a comeback, and considering his transfer fee (£20n), he is obviously ahead of Caulker - who cost QPR £8m - in the pecking order.

* Klopp will almost certainly restore the Sakho/Lovren partnership as soon as it's viable, and the chances are they'll both stay fit for at least 4-6 games.

* By that time, Skrtel will probably be back, which reduces Caulker's chances of playing even more.

Which brings us back to the main question: What was the point of this transfer? Clearly, there is no point. Caulker is not going to start games in the league, and if his only job is to play in the FA Cup, then Emre Can could've deputised.

When everyone is fit, is Caulker really only good enough to be Liverpool's fifth-choice central defender?

Author: Jaimie K


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