LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15:  Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers deep in thought whilst sitting next to his defender Dejan Lovren during a press conference ahead of their UEFA Champions League group B match against PFC Ludogorets on September 15, 2014 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.  (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) clive Brunskill/Getty Images When Dejan Lovren gesticulates frenziedly at his Liverpool team-mates, he is desperately attempting to revert back into the command, dominant allele and elect centre-back at Southampton. dismally retrogressing into an erratic, unreliable and panicky defender, Lovren is recreating his lyon ordeal at Liverpool.

Arriving at Lyon from Dinamo Zagreb as a exceeding defensive candidate in the 2010 January transfer window for €9.4/£7.4 million, Lovren was designated to be a croatian adaptation of Edmilson, who once scored an overhead bang as a centre-back for Brazil against Costa Rica at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Lovren began his Lyon career as a utility player, starting at right-back in a 2-1 gain over Paris Saint-Germain and at left-back in a 0-0 draw against Toulouse. “ My choose position is in central refutation, but I have no qualms [ with Lyon ] about playing on the right or the leave, ” Lovren said, per Ligue 1 ‘s official web site. “ If I had to, I ‘d flush play as a goalkeeper. ” Lovren ‘s knowledgeability at Lyon was taxing as director Claude Puel had doubts. At one charge, Cris, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Mathieu Bodmer and Jeremy Toulalan—a cardinal midfielder—were Puel ‘s prefer centre-backs over Lovren .Video Play Button

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Playing a many-sided role for Lyon besides wear thin as Lovren started and finished eight Ligue 1 games on the judiciary during his inaugural season. “ The first six months [ at Lyon ] were very, very difficult for me. I did n’t speak the lyric [ French ] so I did n’t understand anything [ from Puel ], ” Lovren said, per Jim Lucas at Southampton ‘s official web site. “ [ The french ] journalists were killing me, asking why the cabaret played millions for a musician who did n’t have enough feel. ” A lack of feel did not hold back Miralem Pjanic—Lovren ‘s team-mate at the time— scoring six times, registering 10 assists and appearing in 37 league games. There were 11 players born in 1989 or later who played more than 2,000 minutes in the 2009-10 Ligue 1 temper. If you were good adequate, age was not relevant—Lovren was barely Ligue 1 standard. “ Imagine being 20 [ years previous ] and read [ harsh criticisms about you from the french media ], ” Lovren said, per Jim Lucas at Southampton ‘s official web site. “ You start to think that is the accuracy. ” But it was the truth because Lovren was undependable .

  • Lovren did not speak French and was unable to communicate effectively with his teammates. 
  • He gave away possession 27.7 percent of the time he attempted a pass, thus was ineffective in Lyon’s build-up play. 
  • He was a nonexistent entity from an attacking point of view as a full-back. Averaged 0.3 key passes per game (pass leading to scoring chance) and failed to score or create a goal in 683 minutes. 

Incompetent—as opposed to inexperienced—was the prevailing adjective to describe Lovren. Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Liverpool centre-forward Mario Balotelli ‘s catch phrase is “ Why constantly me ? “ Lovren spent his Lyon career thinking “ Why always me ? ” every fourth dimension he incurred another balmy red card. Clattering into then-Auxerre right attacking midfielder Dennis Oliech while booked, Lovren received two scandalmongering cards in 22 minutes. Leading 1-0, Auxerre were gifted a one-man advantage and scored three far goals to win 4-0 against Lyon. “ It ‘s a adult slap of class. A match to forget, ” Puel said, per AFP ( h/t FIFA ‘s official web site ). “ The goal we conceded was dazed [ and Lovren ‘s ] red card [ was ] stupid as well. ” Post-Puel in a Remi Garde era, Lovren ‘s inclination for crimson cards continued. Despite being booked, Lovren hacked Lille centre-forward Nolan Roux from behind, who was dribbling aside from finish.

Lyon spent the future 25 minutes ( 20 minutes plus five minutes of stop time ) defending a 2-1 head with 10 men against Lille. Lovren half-heartedly accepted blameworthiness. “ I agree with the second jaundiced menu, but not the first, ” Lovren said, per Lyon ‘s official web site. “ I ‘m not in the best human body of my life sentence and I ‘m very disappoint at being suspended. ” In his final season at Lyon, Lovren ‘s inability to retain standard positional discipline heavily factored into him being sent off three times in league play. “ I was thinking : ‘Oh my God, what am I doing ? ‘, ” Lovren said, per Paul Doyle at The Observer ( h/t The Guardian ). “ [ Lyon ] did n’t have the time to wait for me. ” Southampton signing Lovren from Lyon for €10.9/£8.5 million in the 2013 summer transfer window was arsenic bizarre as Alaeddine Yahia saying hello and bye to the Saints. The idea of Lovren transforming from train-wreck defender to a wall for Southampton would be akin to Iago Aspas registering 10 assists from corners in La Liga on loanword at Sevilla this season ( presently has zero ). Lovren achieved a feat in the Premier League he had not accomplished since the 2009-10 Ligue 1 temper : did not get red carded in league play. He experienced a career-best season at Southampton but distillery brazenly maintained he was not a indebtedness at Lyon, pointing the finger at Ligue 1 referees. “ I was the like musician in France and I think nowadays I ‘m showing the quality to everybody and rise, even to myself, that I was not so bad in France, ” Lovren said, per Paul Doyle at The Observer ( h/t The Guardian ). “ It is precisely that in England the referees are unlike [ and more indulgent ]. ” vitamin a soon as Liverpool came calling, Lovren showed his true colours. He abandoned Southampton, the club which rescued his career. “ When I decided to go to Southampton, many people were surprise … [ now ] I realised I ‘ve got no business staying at Southampton, ” Lovren said, per Sportske Novotni ( h/t Joe Rimmer at the Liverpool Echo ). “ Frankly, my head is already at Liverpool. ”

Dejan Lovren
Nation Position Age Height Weight
Croatia CB 25 6’2″ 185 lbs
Credit: Liverpool’s official website.

Liverpool signing Lovren for €25.6/£20 million was a routine inflated Premier League transfer. “ [ Lovren ] is hush relatively unseasoned, so his peak years are ahead of him and I believe he will improve and progress even further with us, ” Liverpool director Brendan Rodgers said, per James Carroll at Liverpool ‘s official web site. “ He is a command and knock-down presence and distinctly has leadership skills, which is authoritative. ” adverse to Rodgers ‘ consummate populace relations spin, Lovren ‘s mind is not that of a natural drawing card. Lovren is not an efficient organizer of the back line, let alone a leader, which is why Liverpool ‘s defense mechanism is in disarray. Liverpool have conceded more goals ( 13 ) than Stoke City ( 12 ), Swansea City ( 10 ) and Southampton ( five ). Lovren is a “ do as I say, not as I do ” centre-back. Liverpool did not put much standard into Lovren’s powerlessness to work his means out of a rut at Lyon. “ [ I ‘m ] disappointed by certain people [ at Lyon ], ” Lovren said, per Sportske Novotni ( h/t Ian Holyman at ESPN FC ). “ [ Management are ] killing [ my ] calm and rejoice at going to training. ” Lovren attempting to revise his history at Lyon, the persistent crimson cards and the diva-like behavior gives you an insight into how mentally fragile he can be. He is bringing back his lyon misery at Liverpool : He never recovered from his mentally scarring start at OL. Lovren probably wonders to himself every fourth dimension Liverpool concede : “ Oh my God, what am I doing ? ”

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