Did Dejan Lovren actually have an improved display for Liverpool against Basel?
No mistake about it, Dejan Lovren’s move to Liverpool has been a disaster.
The Croatian kicked up a huge fuss and offended almost everybody at Southampton in order to force a £20 million move to Liverpool, and Reds fans are generally of the mind he should not have bothered.
His displays have not been up to scratch, but against Basel last night was there actually an improvement in his performance in the 1-1 draw?
| Match | Won Tackles | Interceptions | Aerial Duels Won | Accurate Crosses | Shots Blocked | Goal Assist | Goals | Total | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dejan Lovren | Liverpool vs Basel | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 90 |
| Glen Johnson | Liverpool vs Basel | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 90 |
| José Enrique | Liverpool vs Basel | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 45 |
| Martin Skrtel | Liverpool vs Basel | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 90 |
| Alberto Moreno | Liverpool vs Basel | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 45 |
When looking at key statistics from the contest and adding up the various attributes, he was Liverpool’s best performer.
That may not be saying much considering the poor standard of the rest of the defence, but it’s a step in the right direction for a player who has been humiliatingly dropped of late.
Lovren was the only Liverpool player to win three tackles, and to win three interceptions, while he won more aerial duels than the rest of the defence combined. He also blocked three shots, again, more than the rest of the defence.
While easy to write the defender off, and his Champions League dream is already over, last night he took a step in the right direction.
Unfortunately it was too little too late.
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