Dejan Lovren has justifiably had his fair share of criticism since his £20 million pound switch from Southampton almost 18 months ago, but in a recent interview with the Echo, he’s vowed to prove his worth to the side.
“I would say it has been ups and downs, but the most important thing is the present”, he said. “I have been tested so many times in my life, even at other clubs, so this is just another school for me to learn”.
Lovren was widely identified as the defence’s weak link during the shambolic 2014/15 season, with several fans pointing to him as the sole reason that we conceded 48 goals on the way to a sixth place finish.
It might have been slightly harsh – all the defence were poor – but some of his errors were still unforgivable. In truth, most problems probably stemmed from a lack of confidence, but if there’s anyone that can restore his confidence and help him rediscover his Southampton form, it’s our current boss Jurgen Klopp.
“I came here to be a leader and I still feel I can lead a team”, he continued. “[We are] playing like a team now with everyone feeling comfortable… the manager has had a big influence on the team and everyone has a confidence”.
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Lovren is arguably one of our most improved players under the German. After being thrust into the side for last weekend’s crunch game against City he barely put a foot wrong, keeping the likes of Aguero, Sterling, and Navas firmly in his pocket.
We definitely need a quality third choice centre back, especially as Sakho does seem to be slightly injury-prone. Klopp even referred to as much during his post-match interview. After the last few days, we finally have a reason to believe that the Croat could turn out to be that man.