It is all Agger’s Fault …

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I may have got overly excited about our recent clean sheets in the last article (Solid as a Rock!), as our defensive frailties were once again on show against Cardiff.

Firstly I am a massive Agger fan, his loyalty to the club when he could have easily left will never be forgotten but even I have to to admit he is not the player he was 2 or 3 years ago, the injuries have simply caught up with him.

Cardiff ear marked our left hand side as a potential weakness, with everyone knowing we need a left back. Jon Flanagan has done a tremendous job and has progressed where most people thought he was on the way out of Anfield at the start of the season.

Agger is the senior player on the left hand side, arguably the whole back 4 being vice-captain and it the situation we are in he has to be supporting the younger players round him.

Goal 1 – Mutch (9th Min)

In the end Allen makes a rare mistake giving the ball away but Agger’s starting position is awful and he a huge gap in behind Flanagan.

He can see Flanagan has gone to the ball and should come across leaving the striker to Skrtel.

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When Mutch does come inside he doesn’t throw himself in the way as Gerrard is trying to do and if that was Skrtel he would have put his body on the line to block the ball. Agger didn’t make a block all game.

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Goal 2 – Campbell (25th Min)

Again for the 2nd Cardiff goal Agger is leaving too much of a gap to Flanagan. Flanagan has quite rightly gone to the winger and is actually in quite a good position, but it is the fact that Agger doesn’t come across again that there are holes to run into.

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Goal 3 – Mutch (88th Min)

For the 3rd but he switches off and leaves Skrtel and Johnson to deal with Kenwyne Jones and Mutch, where really Mutch should be Agger’s man.

Whilst his positioning is bad he makes no effort to get back and help and watches Mutch get his 2nd.

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Comparison to Last Season

Comparing his stats to last season his performances have dropped off in all areas and he unfortunately not the player he used to be,

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The Answer?

Obviously the answer, short term and long term, started on the bench against Cardiff and should start at home against Sunderland on Wednesday night – he is Mamadou Sakho.

We need to tighten up at the back and he is the man to do it.

Roll on Sunderland!!!!

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