Speaking to the Liverpool Echo Dejan Lovren has refused to accept the sole blame for the defensive debacle last season and admits that he is not as happy as he was at Saints.

Dejan Lovren has found that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence and the grass in the fields of Anfield Road has not lead to happiness for him in the last year after his body followed his head to Liverpool.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo he refused to take the blame though, despite the fact that clearly Brendan Rodgers blamed him by dropping him and the majority of Liverpool fans did.

“It has been tough,” he told the Liverpool Echo, when asked about his first year on Merseyside. “I think it was a tough year for everyone at the club and the fans.

“I was quiet last season, I just wanted to concentrate on myself. I knew what was happening with how I was playing was not right and I didn’t want to speak about it. At Southampton it was different. There was a good atmosphere and I was happy. If I am not playing well, I cannot be happy. I didn’t pretend.

“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.”

These are comments that will not sit lightly with Liverpool supporters who feel that the player has not lived up to the high price tag placed on him and its a warning to Toby Alderweireld at Spurs that sometimes a club is right for a player and a so called dream move might turn out to be a nightmare.

Lovren might find that unless he finds his form fast in the coming season his time at Anfield might be coming to an end, certainly he will have competition for places this time and if he struggled to get in last seasons, this time around it will be harder especially if Liverpool add another central defender to the squad.

Photo: Action Images

mgprobert added 12:47 - Jul 23 We all make mistakes and at least he's big enough to admit it. So much of the game is in the head and thats where Saints have done so well recently - a bonded team playing as more than the sum of its parts. At least he will feel a little better when he looks at his bank balance.
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simmo400 added 13:02 - Jul 23 Why is he on our website...............????
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TimSaint added 13:05 - Jul 23 Dejan, the team cannot be blamed for your penalty heroics in that shoot out !! That, I'm afraid, was all your own work !! :-)
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BaselSaint added 13:09 - Jul 23 A harsh lesson for the young guy.... I guess a bit more humility and respect will be forthcoming next time he moves...
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OwenTheSaint added 13:11 - Jul 23 Offer them 8m to 10m for him and see if he'll come back. I guess most Saints fans will be disgusted at such a suggestion but cut the emotion out of it, and would it be such a bad deal for both clubs? Liverpool get rid of a player they obviously don't rate and Saints get the central defender they are looking for, one which has already had a proven quality partnership with our first choice centre back. Wages could be a problem, and also Liverpool's inability to swallow their pride by losing 12m on the player, even though they'll probably sell him for no more than 8m next summer after another season of being dropped. Something has to happen, Lovren's unhappiness is keeping me awake at night!!!

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wopper added 13:11 - Jul 23 Bet hes put a couple of million in his bank account since leaving lucky sod.
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bstokesaint added 13:19 - Jul 23 I'm totally with Owen on this one. Maybe it's even a 'come and get me' from Dejan. I honestly think there are far worse moves Saints could make. He's learned his lesson and I doubt if he returned he would be so quick to do the same again any time soon. His partnership with Fonte is tried and tested. He's a ready made replacement who could be bought back on the cheap(er). For the love of god Liverpool owe us some goodwill. Personally I think he'll come good this season for them, but I would be prepared to forgive and forget if Saints did the same.

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Zambucco added 13:24 - Jul 23 Swallow our pride, forgive mistakes, let's get him back on the cheap. He'll work twice as hard to prove himself and win a small minority of fans back. He's ready made for us. It's business guys!
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OwenTheSaint added 13:43 - Jul 23 I agree with bstokesaint, I recon Lovren will have a good season. Funny thing psychology, last year with the weight of a 20m price tag on him he was shit, this season with Liverpool fans expecting more of the same he'll probably play well. Still, before that happens, lets at least take the piss a bit by reaffirming how bad he was last season by putting in a bid for 8m. While we're at it, chuck in a 10m bid for Lallana too!

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BoondockSaint added 13:51 - Jul 23 He won't take a cut in pay, Brenda won't admit he made a mistake about his "technic and character",and most importantly, Fonte wouldn't want to spend half his time on the pitch covering for Lovern's mistakes! Let him go cry on a bag of money.
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SaintBrock added 13:56 - Jul 23 Get him back, this is football and he's only an immature kid.
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HeyYouThere added 14:00 - Jul 23 Remember me this way - "sometimes a club is right for a player"
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A1079 added 14:48 - Jul 23 Give the guy a break. We have all made mistakes and done things we regret. I made a move once and it was the worst decision of my life and had a profound and lasting impact. May be he is saying, I would go back if I had the option - I got it wrong.
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palmsaint added 15:07 - Jul 23 Just remember what we spent the 20 mil on we got for him .... No happy about how the move happend but would take him back for 8 mil that woulld make good business and can put two finngers up to loserpool
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AndrewB added 16:18 - Jul 23 Les Reed and our much publicised player recruitment team seem to be struggling with finding us a lynchpin centre back. Unless they come up with someone soon perhaps we should suggest a one season loan for Lovren provided Liverpool subsidise his wages?
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DPeps added 16:34 - Jul 23 Give them a few million and throw in Gardos to sweeten the deal
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compello added 17:18 - Jul 23 Presume nobody here has ever left a job for another one that pays more? No? I can't see the hatred. We don't know that he was malicious or unprofessional when he went to Liverpool. And whilst he made comments in the media that encouraged the deal to progress, it's not that bad. They say no player is bigger than the club. So why should the club be bigger than this guy's life? We won't find another Matt Le Tis again. We need to accept these kids move for more money. That's the same as any other industry. I'd have him back. He and Jose were great together. We need to stop hating him though and just move on...

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BoondockSaint added 17:53 - Jul 23 Doesn't anyone recall the howling mistakes he made last year? That's why Brenda sat him down. The consensus on this site then was "Wow, he wasn't as good as we thought-it was Jose covering his back-now that he's on his own in Scousehampton his weaknesses are easier to see". So why would we want him now?
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rjh added 18:57 - Jul 23 Get him back.
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BUCK added 22:19 - Jul 23 Tough shit. You make your bed, you lie in it. Anyone who would want this prick back really doesn't know much about football. The prick used us as a stepping stone. It's backfired. Karma hahaha
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Jesus_02 added 22:34 - Jul 23 "Presume nobody here has ever left a job for another one that pays more? No?" Never seen the sense in this argument myself. I have never been on £3m a year and want more either. Its like comparing going back for seconds at the White Swan with gorging yourself at on three main courses at the Ivy...then going back and having another 3 courses ...then being completely disrespectful to the waiting staff. Are we comparable to footballers? Yes?

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