Jurgen Klopp has regularly maintained that it’s not just the responsibility of his back four to keep clean sheets, as Liverpool have had plenty of issues with their defensive displays. The German manager has now been at Anfield for two years and it’s reasonable to expect better from his side.
There must come a point when the personnel should change, especially when Klopp has often pointed out the reasons why he feels that it’s not his system that’s at fault. The centre-backs and goalkeepers have made numerous individual errors which certainly can’t be justified when happening on a consistent basis.
“The first goal was a little throw in and we are not really there. It was just really bad, bad, bad defending,” Klopp told Sky Sports after the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
“The second, a counter attack, when the ball passes Dejan Lovren it is already too late. If I am involved in this situation on the pitch, then Harry [Kane] cannot get the ball.”
Lovren was substituted after just 31 minutes against Spurs in a very public humiliation following his part in the opening two goals. It’s not the first time that the Croatian has made such unforgivable mistakes both this term and within his three years on Merseyside.
There’s certainly an argument that he should retain his place for the next fixture against Huddersfield Town in an attempt to restore his confidence, although many will expect to see him dropped and someone else given an opportunity. The biggest dilemma is who fills that role with Ragnar Klavan and Joe Gomez the only other realistic options.
There are mitigating circumstances as to why Lovren so frequently struggles to concentrate and Liverpool have a duty to help him with this on a personal level, but not at the detriment of the team or results.
Lovren admitted to taking pills before every game last month, which had a devastating effect on the career of former Liverpool central defender Daniel Agger. The Dane had to quit last year at 31 years old after he played for years on a high dosage of anti-inflammatory tablets.
“I play, but I'm not training at all,” Lovren told Croatian website Sportske Novosti last month. “I can't train. The biggest problem is my back.”
Lovren is also supposed to testify in court against the most influential man in Croatian football Zdravko Mamić and was even burgled the night before he was due to take to the stand. “This is a terribly difficult period in my life,” Lovren told Croatian media Index.
“I'm afraid they're going to kidnap my children.” Liverpool staff have clarified that the defender has not spoken to any English newspaper on the matter.
Lovren’s decision making has been poor for much of his time at Liverpool and this was often the case when at Lyon in France as some cast doubts he could reach the top level. However, without distractions he can produce decent performances, although they are rare at present and not frequent enough to be first choice at a Champions League club.
He signed a new contract only six months ago and his wage of just under £100,000 a week for the next four years means he can’t simply be offloaded. Klopp has to work with him in the short-term until he can find an adequate replacement, but he appears to be losing patience even if he’s sympathetic to his private life.
