Dejan Lovren is perhaps the footballer best practised at the art of Turning A Corner.
Lovren has said today that Liverpool fans are seeing his true potential under Jurgen Klopp, ominously stating that fans will "regret their initial opinion of me". He told Sportske:
The fans now have me in a different view.
I think that they are now starting to realise that I am worthy, and they regret that they initially had a different opinion.
But Liverpool is a big club, and expectations are high, so it is normal that you are going to be criticised.
Sadly, Lovren only ever seems to turn into another corner.
Lovren has an irritating habit of giving an interview hailing a return to form following a couple of reasonable performances, only to see these interviews folled by a wretched performance.
For example, at the beginning of this season, Lovren promised an improvement in performances:
I think it was a tough year for everyone at the club and the fans. But it is not Dejan Lovren-Liverpool, you know? I cannot defend all alone. It is 11 players. When we are good, everyone is good. When we are bad, everyone is bad, not just me. I think we need to look like this, not just put the pressure on me or point the finger. I don’t agree with this.
I know what the papers were writing about me. I don’t want to have to listen to this again. We want to move on as a team. When we are better, it is because we will be doing all together good.
After clean sheets against Stoke, Arsenal and Bournemouth, Brendan Rodgers publicly backed him ahead of a home game against West Ham:
I thought he (Lovren) was very, very good last week. I think it’s confidence. I felt – and I said it last year – in his second year he’ll be a better player here.
It’s such a huge move to come to a club like this and it’s only when they’re in they recognise the expectations that are here.
It was about trying to find that balance early on in pre-season. We’ve got excellent players here in Sakho, Kolo, but centre-halves will tell you it’s about finding that comfort with a partner, that partnership.
And I thought the two centre-halves were very good last week and Dejan in particular where he’s aggressive, good in the air, his reading of the game was good and his passing was simple but effective.
Then, this happened:
In another example, Lovren claimed in a Sky interview before a game away to Crystal Palace in November 2014 that he was good enough to be Liverpool captain some day.
Liverpool lost 3-1 to Neil Warnock's Palace as the Croat was ripped to shreds by Yannick Bolaise.
Lovren is curently injured, but chillingly, he might be back for Manchester United's trip to Anfield on Sunday.
