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The footballing world was shocked when news emerged that Mamadou Sakho has been charged with substance abuse. The mutual decision between the club and the player leaves Liverpool’s already poor defence at its weakest. The Parisian has chosen not to challenge the results that he tested positive for a substance consistent with ‘fat burners.’ Liverpool’s Europa League challenge will be seriously tested without their most talented defender to call upon. This will be another test of how Jürgen Klopp can work his magic on a team which he is yet to alter in the transfer market.
While many favour centre-backs such as Toby Alderweireld and Vincent Kompany, Sakho is one of the best defensive talents in the country. According to Sqauwka, Sakho has won 60% of his aerial duels in comparison to Alderweireld’s 54% and Kompany’s 58%. Furthermore, the Frenchman makes 1.7 blocks per game whereas the two Belgian internationals average 0.89 and 0.28 respectively. I considered comparing the number of clearances each made but Sakho’s was considerably lower due to the fact that Klopp prefers his defenders to play the ball out from the back rather than clear it further up-field.
It goes without saying that Liverpool are going to miss Sakho’s tremendous mentality and the closer they get to winning the Europa League, the more they’ll miss the way he puts his body on the line. That being said, it opens the door for other players to try and impress Klopp. It has been virtually impossible to edge out either Mamadou Sakho or Dejan Lovren on their recent form.
Jürgen Klopp’s head will turn to Kolo Toure – another centre back who has been guilty of drug use in the past. When Toure was at Manchester City he was banned for 6 months after testing positive for endroflumethiazide, a substance found in water tablets designed for weight loss. Toure is Liverpool’s most experienced defender having won two league titles in his time at Arsenal and Manchester City. This experience will come in handy now without Sakho and with the heat being turned on in the latter stages of the Europa League. Villarreal are a well drilled outfit but they also have superb attackers in the likes of Cedric Bakambu and Denis Suarez. Liverpool will have to be at their sharpest to thwart the Spaniard’s own ambitions of European glory.
Klopp will be hopeful that if selected, Toure can replicate the performance that he put in the Capital One Cup semi-final against Stoke City. The Ivorian was dominant and demanding of his defensive counterparts. He showed the leadership which was evident in his years under Arsene Wenger. Toure’s leadership, experience and passion are all major positives of selecting him. It will be a concern however, if he comes one-on-one with Bakambu as his legs are aging and he won’t be able to match the power that the forward exudes.
For this reason, Klopp may choose to select one of either Martin Skrtel or Steven Caulker due to their physical presence. Liverpool’s German manger will be very wary of playing Skrtel though, not only due to the Slovakian’s dismal partnership history with Dejan Lovren but also his recent calamitous form. Skrtel’s Southampton nightmare may still well be fresh in the memory for such a big occasion to be thrust upon him. That being said, Caulker has no experience at such a high level of football.
Liverpool’s season and the success of it rests on their Europa League progression, as their Premier League campaign is essentially over. If Klopp’s men don’t win the Europa League, then all that will be left is whether or not they will feature in Europe’s second tier competition next season. The former Dortmund manager will have stressed the importance of this path to the final and beyond to his players. Just over a month ago Champions League qualification was possible through the top four places and the Europa League, with only the latter now remaining.
A good way to inspire the players would be to show them clips of the dramatic game against Borussia Dortmund. Hopefully progression to the final will be a little more straightforward but knowing Liverpool, it won’t be. It would seem as if the Liverpool Way is the hard way. If such drama will occur it could only come from Liverpool Football Club. So strap in, because here comes 180 minutes of tense and exciting European football.
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