There’s was more than one Kopite out there who shook their head when Liverpool signed Dejan Lovren from Southampton in a big money move late last month, but after yesterday’s 4-0 drubbing for German giants Borussia Dortmund, there’ll be more than one of them putting those fears to bed after a commanding performance from the Croatian defender.
A strongly marshalled defence, a clean sheet and a goal on his debut for the 25-year old pretty much sums up a perfect day out for the Reds newest center-half and he was quick to show his enthusiasm when he spoke with the official website after the match. “It was an amazing game,” he said with a wide smile on his face. “We’re talking about Dortmund, who are in the Champions League every year and first or second in the German league. “They are a quality team. We showed a quality style of football, with four goals and a clean sheet. It was amazing for us.”
With a towering header adding to Daniel Sturridge’s opener, Lovren showed one of the main reasons that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers targeted him in the first place — his commanding presence in the box. When the Reds tasted defeat for the first time last season, it came at the hands of his former club and it was a header from the Croatian that did the trick as Southampton snuck out of Anfield with a 1-0 win.
Less than a week from today, the Saint’s will be on Merseyside trying to do that all over again, but with Lovren settling in well, they’re going to have their work cut out for them. “The coach has a similar style to what I had before at Southampton, so it was much easier for me to adapt here. I’m really glad about that” explained the Croatian defender. “I have another week before the Southampton game so [the whole squad and I] will have time to meet each other. But I’ve already settled down here.”
