3 Liverpool Players Whose Stock Tumbled in the 2015/16 Premier League Season

The 2015/16 Premier League campaign was a major disappointment for Liverpool, kicking off with a stuttering start under Brendan Rodgers and, following a brief revival, ending in a marginal role as Jurgen Klopp looked to navigate a busy fixture list, with the UEFA Europa League taking priority.

Last Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to West Bromwich Albion confirmed an eighth-placed finish for the Reds in the league, their joint-worst placing since the 1954/55 season, and their second-worst points tally (60) in the last five years.

Defeat to Sevilla in Wednesday’s Europa League final ensured that Liverpool will be without European competition in 2016/17, and while supporters were left frustrated at FC Basel’s St. Jakob-Park, there was little ill-feeling towards their manager, with Klopp building for long-term success on Merseyside.

However, throughout the league campaign a handful of his players experienced a drop in value, both in terms of their performances and their popularity among supporters—and with changes to come this summer, many could be on their way out of the Anfield exit before the next campaign.

Here are three players whose stock tumbled during the 2015/16 Premier League, starting with an underfire centre-back.

Martin Skrtel

Slovak defender Martin Skrtel began the season in a prominent position under Rodgers, keeping his role as Liverpool’s first-choice centre-back alongside Dejan Lovren—with Mamadou Sakho, prior to his suspension following a positive drug test, left on the substitutes’ bench.

After months of deliberation regarding his future, with sides from Serie A chasing his signature, Skrtel signed a new three-year contract in July, keeping him at the club beyond his 33rd birthday.

The former Zenit St Petersburg defender was even mooted by the Liverpool Echo’s Kristian Walsh as a potential candidate to assume the role of vice-captaincy, following Steven Gerrard’s departure as skipper and Jordan Henderson’s promotion.

James Milner eventually filled the position, but Skrtel continued in his key role for much of the campaign, starting in each of the Reds’ first 17 league games before a hamstring injury in December’s 3-0 loss to Watford derailed his progress.

That injury kept Skrtel out for nine league games, while Lovren and Sakho established themselves as Klopp’s first-choice centre-back …

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