Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders has defended Dejan Lovren, who he says only looks bad because of the lack of protection he gets – namely from left-back Alberto Moreno.
The Croatian defender has missed our past two games with a back injury, but didn’t cover himself in glory against Sevilla last week – at fault for the first goal we conceded.
“I feel sorry for [Dejan] Lovren,” Saunders told talkSPORT.
“I don’t think they get that much protection either.
“You’ve got to look at [Alberto] Moreno playing like a left winger.
“If I was Lovren I’d have him by the throat, saying: ‘you’re making me look like a mug. You’re leaving a big gap along the side of me and I’m not the quickest in the world. And I have world class players running at me every week.’”
In some ways ways Saunders has a point, and in other ways, he doesn’t.
It’s definitely harder being a centre-back under Jurgen Klopp, as he doesn’t deploy a natural holding midfielder (more of a deep-lying playmaker) and encourages his fullbacks to bomb forward and create width.
That’s part of the reason Lovren looks so much better at Southampton, because he was used in a less offensive system.
However, Saunders is wrong to lay blame on Moreno’s door, considering the Spaniard played just a handful of games last term and Lovren’s defending was equally shoddy.
What’s more, the left-back cannot be held responsible for the individual mistakes of others – of which Lovren has made many.
Despite his struggles, we’re a better team when the defender lines up alongside Joel Matip at the back.
Surely Klopp has realised Ragnar Klavan isn’t a suitable short-term or long-term option.