Sunday, February 15, 2009

John Aldridge: Liverpool Must Sort Daniel Agger's Contract

I just can’t make sense of Daniel Agger’s contract situation at Liverpool.

Why isn’t it sorted yet? Why are the club allowing the contract of such a high quality player to run down?

We’ve been speaking about it for months now and I don’t know what the problem is.

It could be that his agent is delaying things but if that’s the case I wish the club would come out and put the record straight.

The fact is it needs to be sorted and fast because we need Agger tied down to an extended deal.

Centre-back is a position where we are very strong and if we’re going to progress over the next few years then Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel and Agger are going to be crucial to that.

With his current contract finishing at the end of next season it’s no surprise that clubs like AC Milan and Real Madrid have been sniffing around.

Agger is a classy defender who is solid defensively and very good on the ball. Players like him are hard to find. It’s difficult as a manager to keep everyone happy but Rafa needs Agger in his squad.

Agger has come out this week saying he’s unhappy with his lack of action in recent months.

I can understand his frustration but he’s got to remember that while he was out injured Skrtel and Carragher forged a strong partnership, while Sami Hyypia has also performed well when called upon.

He’s got to be patient, buckle down and ensure when an opportunity comes along he grabs it with both hands.

You need strength in depth and with the Champions League starting up again in a few weeks I’m sure he will get plenty of action.

The defence is probably the one area where Rafa can rotate without really weakening the side as we’ve got four top centre-halves.

Maybe Rafa changed his formation last weekend just to accommodate Agger. In some games three at the back might work but I can’t see him playing that way on a permanent basis.

One thing is definite. Agger is the key to our hopes of success in the coming years and it’s time his new contract was finally sorted.

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