Sakho Start Is Just A Token Gesture By Rodgers

Sakho Start Is Just A Token Gesture By Rodgers

Mamadou Sakho has been left out of Liverpool’s defence this season with Brendan Rodgers taking preference to the Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren partnership despite calls by supporters to play the French defender.

Sakho will finally get his chance tonight against Bordeaux in the Europa League because Lovren and Skrtel haven’t travelled with the squad. Rodgers has decided to leave some of his regulars at home including striker Christian Benteke.

Many people see the Bordeaux match as a chance for Sakho to stake a claim in Rodgers’ defence but it just looks like a token gesture by the Reds boss and proof that he isn’t first choice anymore in Liverpool’s defence.

I don’t think it matters how Sakho plays tonight because Rodgers looks as if he wants to persist with the unconvincing Lovren and Skrtel partnership.

It’s hard to see how Rodgers rates Lovren as a better defender than Sakho. Despite Sakho’s un-gamely style, he makes far better use of the ball and is much better at tackling and although Lovren is possibly stronger in the air, Sakho is still very strong.

Sakho has much more pace too, that helps him out when dragged wide in one-on-one situations, whereas Lovren looks there for the taking every time when isolated.

We can only hope that Sakho has a very good performance tonight in France and Liverpool get a much needed win and hopefully Rodgers finally sees sense that Sakho should be first choice in Liverpool’s defence.