I'd keep this quiet, there's a lot of idiots on here who will attack anybody for saying Skrtel is anything other than useless.

skrtel does get a lot of unfair press, but if he decided to defend like that every game instead of losing his head and fighting with the man, he wouldnt.
On his day, he is a rock

He played well against a team that showed no attacking intent all game. Well done to the lad.

Always said skrtls was the main man. It was lovren that was killing us at the back

emre can though....kid is going to be a monster

No one is he as good as people make out. He was playing with both Can and Sakho who are better with the ball, and positionally better in my opinion.

If we are gonna say anyone was underrated, then Agger was definitely underappreciated by fans in his later years.

*no way

That back three has gelled more than Can's hair. We should stick with that formation.

He is a player who is far more comfortable when he has players around him who take the ball out of defence and are available to receive quickly as opposed to him hoofing it forward when nothings on. One of the reasons I feel playing alongside and in the middle of two ball playing defenders in Can and Sakho has suited him even more. He slides in well too and doesn't battle out of the physical side of things which that elbow to Costa's head showed. His problems mostly arise from errors that get highlighted when he tugs at players and goes to attack the man rather than the ball. All in all though generally a very capable no nonsense defender on his day.

On skrtel: He can be a liability but since Sakho and Can have been eithjer side of him hes been awesome tbh. He needs support and he is getting it in the back 3, ling may it continue; however, i remeber he was player of teh season a few yrs back yet the following season went back to the mistakes we know he can make.

Always liked him, been our best defender under BR after a shakey start vs City. Makes a few positional errors but usually good enough to make up for these. I think this is his main criticism and the shirt pulling which sky decided to highlight even though all defenders do this. Seems to have cut this out his game too. Love Sakho too but he has odd error per game other wise hardly ever puts a foot wrong

He was boss tonight, Sakho excellent too. Thought Can did very well apart from the pen as well.

Don't think Chelsea had a single corner tonight which helps. That could be the key to not conceding goals from set pieces ya know, don't give them any!

Mightily impressed by the way our defending has improved in recent weeks.

I tell u what move can to midfield that guy will be a beast. He has he height strenght power drive and technique

I tell u what move can to midfield that guy will be a beast. He has he height strenght power drive and technique


next season for that

Sakho is awesome for me; a real beast and yes he does look a bit ungainly but he nearly always hits his man with a pass.

Perhaps some football writers will stop saying Sakho looks uncomfortable on the ball. His passing was excellent tonight.

His passing is excellent, it's just he looks a bit ungainly at times. He hits opposition more than others because he plays forward passes looking for Cout and Sterling, as opposed to sideways passes like Skrtel. Those forward passes get us on the attack, obviously won't hit a red shirt every time.

Sakho you can tell has an awkward technique but I'd say he's by far our best ball playing centre half. His passes are quick, sharp and right into feet. Sometimes he gets pressured yes to release the pass and its too quick for the player coming in and we lose the ball for example but usually he's spot on with the passes. It also helps he's very good in the air and built like a tank and can really bully players when the balls going out of play. Him and Can in some sort of wrestling match would be very close I feel such is the strength they both have.

So when Flanagan and Sturridge come back, we move can into MF and stick flanno at the right of the 3 and swithc studge central with sterling wide or mf diamond?

Comment deleted by Article Creator

All 3 of our current centre back's are in great form at the minute. Lovren hasn't even got a sniff at a chance and so be it because he had 3 months to anchor down a place in the starting 11 and failed miserably.

I'm liking this back 3. Would rather see Can in the middle of the park next to Hendo, but that'll come in time. Skrtels been a good defender for us for a long time. Sometimes great, sometimes dodgy, but there's a reason he and Lucas are among our longest serving players through several management and formation changes.

Sakho.....stop scaring me with these back heel passes to your fellow defenders!

Nope, I don't think Flanno gets in at the moment, that back three looks fairly set in stone right now, he won't be back for a while anyway.

Lallana is knocking on the door of that team as well, hr was so unlucky to pick up an injury as he has been excellent since December.

So refreshing to have in form players

What is the deal with Flanno? Been out for ages.

Could be an all season injury by the sounds of things, similar to Enrique last year. Shame for the lad as he was a great player for us back end of last season.