Whilst Liverpool are busy making new signings this summer, we have not signed a defender yet. A new left-back is a priority for the Reds this summer with the likes of Jose Enrique and Aly Cissokho being strongly linked. From the face of it, it looks like we are well covered in central defence with Carragher, Skrtel, Agger and Soto as the main contenders with Kelly and Wilson as the youngsters who are capable of coming in.
At the start of the summer we were heavily linked with Phil Jones from Blackburn who went on to sign for Manchester United. The fact that we were after him goes to show that we were in the market for a centre-back. Roy Evans seems to think that we really do need a new centre-back to come in this summer.
“I do feel they’re going to need a little bit of cover in defence,” Evans told radio station talkSPORT.
“Daniel Agger is a great footballer, but obviously injury-prone, and Jamie Carragher is still the lynchpin.
“He gives so much information to the players around him and the two young lads, [Martin] Kelly and [John] Flanagan. Carragher helps them an awful lot and he’ll be the biggest loss when he goes.
“I do feel we need to find a centre-back, as we seem a bit short at the back, and that’s a worry.”
Carragher is going to be the first choice centre-back. I know some fans are not happy about that and feel that he is aging and should be used sparingly. But as Evans has pointed out, Carragher’s leadership and organisational skills are still vital to our team. It would be great to have a fully fit Agger for the whole season as he is a quality player but chances of Agger not picking up an injury are slim.
Skrtel played every minute in the Premier League last season and it will be tough for Kenny to drop him after such a record but if everyone is fit, I feel Skrtel will be our third choice centre-back behind Carra and Agger.
So the new centre-back that Evans thinks we need would surely has to be one who will come straight into the starting lineup and partner Carragher and in the long term be the leader of the back-line.
Do we really need one or are Agger and Skrtel good enough? If you agree with Roy Evans, then which central defender should we look at signing? The likes of Gary Cahill and Scott Dann are possible candidates for the job.
We don’t need a NEW centreback but we do need ANOTHER centreback as cover, we saw how quickly we can find ourselves short in that department last season, but don’t forget we also have Martin Kelly…
In order priority I thought we needed a left back and a left winger, then a center back and if we had any more money to spend possibly a defensive midfielder.
With Downing we now have the left winger and with Henderson and Adam we now have 2 more attack minded central midfielders.
As we are regularly linked with a number of LBs and we bid for Clichy it is likely we’ll get our left back in the coming days. Phil Thompson said a while back that the Enrique deal was done, in a Kevin Keagan voice ‘I’d love it if we got him’
Best off-season trafer action for years – Come on Red Men!!!
He is absolutely right. Don’t get me wrong, but Carra even at his peak was 5th choice CB, for a very average English team & now he is into his mid 30s. Skartel ‘ll never be safe enough for a title contenders, though can be a very good squad player (because sitting at LFC bench ‘ll not hamper his national spot) & Ager ‘ll never be fit for a full season. Rest are not good enough.
I feel, we need to sign a good & solid CB. Jones would have been a wrong choice, as unlike MU, we don’t have a solid pairing currently (Sir Alex can give enough growing time to PJ & Smalling in side matches resting Vidic & Ferdinand), we need a solid CB, better if we can get 2. Zapata would have been perfect, though we still can get Hummels & Shakho (I am not for over priced & over hyped average English defenders like Dann or Cahil).
We have several centre back that have played for the first team, with various levels of success.
The big 3 are Carrs, Agger and Skrtel, back up we have Soto (great against teams like Stoke and Bolton) and coming through the ranks we have Wilson Ayrla and some say kelly natural postion is CB, but I’ve not seem him play there.
I therefore think we don’t need another for the future CB, if we’re going for one it has to be a straight into the 1st team player.
Saying that LB is my personal priority now, yes we have players that can play there but we need someone to own the position, someone to miss if injured or suspended.
I believe we dont need a center back and what we dont need now is another of our player leaving anfield because of speculation of another center back coming,believe me clubs will want agger and skrtle,so please, dont discuss this further or it may prompt what we dont want,we dont want to go through the ALONSO type of situation again. Carra,agger,skrtel,kelly and flanagan can handle what ever condition,and if problem arises,that will give kelly and flanagan more confidence in the team.WE NEVER WALK ALONE.
To be honest, I think we’re alright at the back.
Insua is back from his loan, and he started to put in some great performances before he was shipped out. With a full season of experience on loan, he’ll be a better player.
Kelly, Flanagan, Wilson and so on are starting to come through too, which is good news. Kelly is looking more and more like the full package – great in defence, great going forward.
At CB, I’d like to see Agger avoid injuries as much as possible, and I’d love to see a long term pairing of Agger and Skrtel. Carragher has maybe one or two seasons left in him, i think. And maybe only one of those as a real contender for a starting position week in, week out.
And let’s not forget Soto! He’s no Hyypiä, but he’s handy to have on the bench in an emergency!
We definately need a centre back. Soto gives away too many free kicks and penalties just by being slow and clumsy, the youngsters should be coming in before him and it’s not fair to put that much pressure on them. You cant line Wilson up at center back against the top teams, not because I don’t think he’d do a good job but because it’s unfair to damage peoples confidence when they shouldn’t have been there in the first place. The youngsters need a slow progression into the first team. I would actually like a strong English center back like Dann or Cahill as a long term replacement for carra. Dann is a life long fan and would throw his body on the line week in week out, even the best players from europe won’t do that. I didn’t pay too much attention to him last season, but Birminghams defensive record was in tatters after he got injured and he’s still young.
Are centre backs aren’t just good enough! Compare what we have with Manure, Chelsea and Mancity and ?’d know we’ve got problems. Cara shouldn’t be anywhere near first choice cos of his age and poor ball skills. We need a Mamadu Sakho or a commander in the defence who’s gonna be a general in the air and also fierce tackler and good ball user! We conceeded too many goals last season and a DM like Mousa Sissoko, CB like Mamadou Sakho, LB like Enrique would be assets that would guarantee our final assault on the EPL! We now have Henderson who is a box to box player, I wouldn’t mind letting replacing Lucas with an outright, strong and fast Defensive midfielder like Sissoko!
Skrtel is awesome! He’s by far the best centre half we have!
Drives me mad listening to all these so called expert fans that are putting for foreign centre halfs; don’t they get it; DUH; we have had foreign after foreign and nothing comes close to a good old English ideally scouse centre half that lives and breaths Liverpool – Thompson, Carra and Hanson are probably our best club centre halfs over last 30 years; and in Scott Dann we have the opportunity to sign the best of the lot. All these idiots that go – he’s from BCFC and we are the great Liverpool why would we be interested??? wake up and smell the roses – Liverpool are barely a European team at the moment and Dann has dragged himself up from Non league to PL by 22yrs old – 6ft 5in tall; a leader; Liverpool fan and technically very good.
We should have signed him by now; and he would come straight in at Number 1 centre back; why? because he’s better than what we have. Kenny; don’t go foreign carry on signing British and this club needs another Scouser in the team!!
we had defence problems cos we couldnt use the same players for a run due to injuries.
Our problem is when agger is injured, carra might well get injured due to age. so then we have to have soto and skyrtel and neither are leaders. ripped apart and the young guns can’t lead the line yet.
Dann would be good and need a left back, but prices are high. Reckon they’ll look at Insua but he wasn’t a great defender, just liked running the wings. Still learning his trade.
we need a left back for sure. enrique would be my first choice because he has been playing in the premier league. i dont think its a good idea to buy players from other countries unless we are absolutely sure that they will do well in the premier league. another center-back would be good but not absolutely necessary. scott dann or gary cahill will be a very good addition to the squad although they are overpriced