Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool > Crystal Palace)

Best defender we have by a mile, and closest thing to a world class defender we've had for awhile I'd say.

There's a reason he captain's France.

Love watching his awkward playing style. He gets the job done and that's all that matters.

Needs to cut out the fancy flicks and concentrate as he seems to be prone to the odd brain fart as he gets cocky thinking he is Ronaldino.

Needs to cut out the fancy flicks and concentrate as he seems to the odd brain fart pas he gets cocky thinking he is Ronaldino.

I hope he doesn't cut them out. Keeps the other team guessing what he's going to do and he's skillful enough to pull them off.

Most people? I think most people think Sakho is a solid centre back. I think he's going to be immense for us.

Well, people think he's about to fall over his feet and are afraid if he has the ball, because he looks like Traore...

He made 3 flick passes that went where they were supposed to. Plays one normal pass across goal and they nearly score.

Keep the flick passes!!!

Been out for like 2.5 months and has come in and instantly raised the bar.  Definitely our best defender.   

I'll echo the opinions on here, he is a beast and top class, our other defenders might actually worry him at times.

Love this guy. Most imposing centre back we've had since Sami left. Now all we've got to do is find a suitable partner for him that isn't Skrtle.

He is the bast defender we had for some time and he is still young so he will get better with time.

Our best centre back without doubt. Thought he was class today. He looks fit, pacey and strong.

Love him but I can't understand why he didn't/doesn't man mark players of the size Bendteke at set pieces. Skrtel seemed to mark him all night and Sakho was now where near him. I thought we bought our own beast in to take care of other team's beasts but it never seems to be the case, it's always Skrtel.

The beast in action against Villa

https://www.youtube.com/v/p6u3lKFS0c8

Now all we've got to do is find a suitable partner for him that isn't Skrtle.

Are you thinking a suitable partner, for Mama, from inside the club or a new signing FMS? Because it would seem there's no one inside the club more "suitable" than Skrtel. Certainly not in Brendan's mind and definitely not Dejan (bless him).

Just a thought here: radical and probably against the grain for the anti-Skrtel battalion but... maybe, just maybe, it's who was playing alongside Martin, [since Daniel was moved on], that was the issue not Martin. 

Great to see Mama back and more importantly, the team keeping a couple of clean sheets - even it they were against the two lowest scoring attacks in the league.

Giant oaks from tiny acorns and all that. 

Saying this for a while now but he's looking like the player we bought from PGS finally. So much potential with this lad, we forget he's still so young too.

Didn't realise he was only 24, he looks a lot older. Played well from the highlights I saw.

With a run of games he is beginning to impress. Outside shot at the captaincy??

Great player, very lucky to have him here.

Going to be one of the best in Europe.

Brings out the best in Skrtel too

Brings out the best in Skrtel too

Agree with this, the pair of them were absolutely awesome tonight.

Skrtel has looked much better in the middle of a 3 anyway, but we really have found homes for all 3 of them tonight. Get a decent keeper in behind them and it actually has the makings of a solid defence, something that I thought was beyond us.

Well in Mama, quality performance lad.

Agree with this, the pair of them were absolutely awesome tonight.

Skrtel has looked much better in the middle of a 3 anyway, but we really have found homes for all 3 of them tonight. Get a decent keeper in behind them and it actually has the makings of a solid defence, something that I thought was beyond us.

Well in Mama, quality performance lad.

Might be alone here but I have faith in Lovren to come in and do a job and that would be a massive injustice to young Can because he has done so well. Skrtel being a last ditch defender definetly benefits from having support either side of him but a back 3 of Lovren Skrtel Sakho with Can and Lucas protecting them would be very difficult to break down.

Might be alone here but I have faith in Lovren to come in and do a job and that would be a massive injustice to young Can because he has done so well. Skrtel being a last ditch defender definetly benefits from having support either side of him but a back 3 of Lovren Skrtel Sakho with Can and Lucas protecting them would be very difficult to break down.

Agree too mate, but Lovren needs to bide his time now and these 3 playing well ahead of him will hopefully force him to improve his game. Personally I see Can's future in midfield but the fact he can play so well at the back is just a massive bonus.

People seem to question his pace, I think he's fine in a straight line, you could see that when he got the ball and powered away it's just his ability to maintain or increase speed on the turn and I'm sure that's what they'll have him training on. Once he gets that agility/dynamism into his game he'll be a permanent fixture in our midfield.

Got to say I agree on Can and his pace. He's like all big units, he needs a couple of paces to go through the gears. It was no surprise when Hazard accelerated past him over five yards early on last night, just like it was no surprise that Sterling breezed past Cahill.

What was very encouraging from Can's perspective was that once Hazard had done him for toe once, he made sure he got his body across him afterwards and it didn't happen again. Can is going to be an absolute top player, and no doubt give those who advocate the committee plenty to shout about for years to come.