Dejan Lovren has only won himself a spot back in the side under Jurgen Klopp due to Mamadou Sakho’s injury, so it feels a little unnecessary that the Croat is dropping sly remarks about his former manager at this point.
The 26-year-old has suggested Brendan Rodgers, the man who brought him to the club from Southampton in 2014, played a large role in his low confidence and poor performances last season.
“It feels like two different teams. It is always easier when a manager has belief in your team and in yourself. It makes it much easier to play and gives you the confidence that, even if you make a mistake, afterwards he will talk to you and explain to you the wrong things and the good things,” Lovren said yesterday, cited in the Echo.
While Lovren is entitled to an opinion, he should probably save it until he’s truly proven he’s worth £20m, or anything close to. He’s only actually overseen a home defeat to Crystal Palace and beat Manchester City since coming back into the fold – hardly a rejuvenation.
Rodgers gave him the biggest move of his career, picked him regularly and spoke well of him in the press, while Lovren’s calamitous start and inability to settle in the side played its part in the Northern Irishman’s sacking..
Still, it’s good to see Lovren enjoys working under Jurgen Klopp, and hopefully will show as much on the field. He’ll start tonight as our first-choice centre-half due to Martin Skrtel’s illness, meaning he’ll have another opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. We really hope he can do it and eventually become a viable alternative to Skrtel alongside Mamadou Sakho at the back.
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