Daniel Agger || The last of his kind

*This is an appreciation thread, so please if you don't have anything nice to say don't post.


Very hard one for me to take. I shed a couple of tears seeing this news be official on the website.

This is a sad day for the footballing world. A man so beautiful and classy. He's a guy every mother aspires their children to grow up to be like. There's a segment most clubs official tv channels do called 'teammates' or something like that where they interview one player and ask them to dish out some dirt from the locker room on their teammates. Most vain, longest by the mirror, best dresser, best singer, etc etc are all categories. For LFC every time they would ask anyone about the most intelligent the answer would be Agger.

In the modern footballing world where almost 99% of players are mercenaries and mainly play and move around clubs dictated by money, we have a guy who goes by his own principles.

The guy wasn't a childhood red or born in a family of scousers. But today he leaves the most die hard fan and loyal fan of all. He leaves at 29, still able bodied to play at a top level at another league. At LFC where he has demanded absolutely nothing in 9 years but given everything to, he dimly asks if they can make his wish to move to his childhood dream team in his homeland come true.

He's taking a massive 90% pay cut to his wages so Brondby can afford him. This whole move is a Cinderella story. LFC can easily amass a bigger fee for the great Dane in a market where Ross McCormack is going for 11m and Chris Samba is moving around 10m from club to club. LFC honor the big red Dane with his final wish and let him leave for 3m.

He has left us as a true legend and as one of our greatest defenders ever. He has left behind a legacy full of memories that will make even the pessimistic of fans reminisce. His great goal in CL semifinals against Chelsea to take the game to extra time will be one of his grandest moments in my eyes. His tackle on Torres when the blond lesbian mercenary left us for Chelsea in a tough period. His interview telling Roy Hodgson to *bleep* himself where the Owl demanded him to play hoofball. His magnificent performance in the CL final. His amazing screamers over the years. His YNWA tattoo the summer City made a massive bid for his services.

It's only fitting that he also scored in his very last competitive match for us and that his very last appearance for LFC came against Brondby as a LFC captain.

I will follow him for the rest of his career and wish him the very best in Denmark. YNWA Daniel, you are one of a kind.

*This is an appreciation thread, so please if you don't have anything nice to say don't post.

He always chose happiness over his career. Not many people do that now days. Im struggling to find players in the same ilk as Agger in this current world.

Rejected City and Barcelona so that he could play for Liverpool and help during their dark times. Its not like its over for him, He's capable of playing 90 mins week in week out for a team as good as Liverpool. But he chooses Brondby at the age of 29, Why?

Because there is more to Football than just money, He epitomizes the reasons Football is more than a sport for me.

Awesome post for magnificent legend

Didn't know he was taking such a huge cut, that 3m should go to him then.

"His interview telling Roy Hodgson to *bleep* himself where the Owl demanded him to play hoofball"

Did this actually happen?? I need to see this

^

"I'm here to play football and not to unload [the ball]," Agger told Danish TV station channel 6'eren. "The manager has a philosophy that we're playing football further up the pitch and then you have to play a different kind of football at the back. That's not my style. That's not the type of football player I am. I like to keep the ball on the ground. And I'm going to keep doing that. Whether he'll use me or not, time will tell.

"I guess I'll try to change even though I'm not going to be the player that unloads the ball every single time I get it. I'll fight for my chance. I'll get the chance. I know what I represent and I think he also knows that."

"Our play has changed, so I'll have to adjust a bit," he said. "But to be honest, I'm not going to adjust 100%. I'm a footballer who keeps the ball on the floor. I'm here to play, not to unload."


http://www.espnfc.com/story/825294/liverpools-daniel-agger-slams-roy-hodgsons-long-ball-style

http://metro.co.uk/2011/02/11/liverpool-were-st-under-roy-hodgson-says-daniel-agger-638204/

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/sep/20/daniel-agger-roy-hodgson-liverpool

"Our play has changed, so I'll have to adjust a bit. But to be honest, I'm not going to adjust 100%. I'm a footballer who keeps the ball on the floor. I'm here to play, not to unload."

Agger continued: "That's not my style. That's not the type of football player I am. I like to keep the ball on the ground. And I'm going to keep doing that. Whether he'll use me or not, time will tell.

Anyone who tells Woy to bleep off gets extra respect from me

This is such a great move for Danish football, and I appreciate him helping out our league. One of the big Danish legends of this generation, and I wish him all the best. He was our top scorer in the WC qualification

I'm gonna buy a Brondby Agger jersey.

can't wait to get tattooed by him in CPH in a few years when he inevitably retire and become a full time tattooist

2013-14 goals:





2012-13 goals:







2011-12 goals:





2009-10 goals:



2008-09 goals:

Respect

If only he could have been more healthy he wouldn't be moving right now. Or maybe it was always in the cards because of Rodgers' preferences. I'm not convinced Sakho is better than Agger, but it is what it is. He isn't getting played here despite his passion and love for the team, and he deserves to be happy.

YNWA Agger.

However, Agger revealed that a failure of Rodgers - who he went on to describe as "an extremely competent coach" - to appreciate his contributions, rather than a lack of first-team opportunities, was the key factor in his decision to move back to his homeland.

"Let me put it this way - me and the manager were perhaps not on the same page for all of last season. For most of last season at least," Agger told Danish TV programme Onside.

"There was some distance between us and for me that was enough. I didn't feel that he appreciated the things I contributed. And when I feel that, then it is time to move on.

"Maybe where it went wrong between me and him is that I am very direct. I say things as they are, and also expect that people are [that way towards] to me. Maybe it's wrong to expect that."

What a boss

Translation of the interview:

Agger: The manager and I probably weren't at the same side last season, at least for the majority of the season. I felt very distanced to him, and to me that was just enough. I feel he didn't appreciate my qualities and my contributions. And when I feel this way it's time to get home

Interviewer: Is it true that the manager and you didn't speak properly for the whole of last season

Agger: Well, there weren't many conversions, let me put it that way

Interviewer: At the press conference for your return to Brøndby, you mention that when you weren't happy every time you went to practice, then it was time to leave. Why didn't you feel happy?

Agger: When you been a part of the starting eleven for several games in a row and the team have performed well, and you feel that you have played well yourself, then when you're left out of the team and don't feel appreciated, it starts to get into your mind, you wonder.

Interviewer: Did you feel angry?

Agger: Yeah, you get a little annoyed, and when you at the same time see the statistics from your game, which are so important all around the world of football, then you don't understand why you weren't used more often. It's all about being able to talk with all of your players and get them to perform as well as they can

Interviewer: Do you think Rodgers is a bad manager?

Agger: I think he is a great manager, you can't take that away from him. He's good in the way he trains the team and he is great at setting up the team. The things that went wrong between us is that I say things the way they are and I expect others to treat me the same way. Maybe it is wrong to always expect this

Interviewer: You showed great loyalty to Liverpool FC. Did you feel that Rodgers wasn't loyal to you?

Agger: At least I have learned a lot from last year. I have learned that a lot of players in the world of football only think of what is best for themselves. I haven't done that for the biggest part in my career. But with all that has been said and done and understand why players think think this way, even though it has been something I couldn't relate to in the past. It has been an eye opener.

----------------

It's a little sad to see this is what was going on in the background. Anyone with half a brain could see he was still our best defender. Seems it was personal with Rodgers.

Rodgers is already getting bit in the ass about his decision to let Daniel go as it's clear now Lovren, Sakho, and Skrtel are either average or just don't fit into his system of play.

From the outside, I find it hard to believe it was personal.

I think simply BR wasnt confident in his ability not to break down and perhaps some physical decline. But more than that, its interesting that he replaced Agger with a totally different player.

Agger is a passer who isnt very physical but reads the play. Sakho struggles with the ball but is very physical and aggressive.

It just seems to me he wanted a different kind of defender. Maybe if one of them was right footed they would play together for all we know.

But im just an outsider, I dont know anything other than what I see.

Agger-Skrtel played these matches in a row in that winning run at the end of the season:

Fulham 2-3 Liverpool (Agger comes in late after a disaster partnership between Kolo-Skrtel)
Liverpool 4-3 Swansea
Southampton 0-3 Liverpool
Man Utd 0-3 Liverpool
Cardiff 3-6 Liverpool
Liverpool 2-1 Sunderland
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham

Albeit the CB partnership wasn't perfect in that run but it was the best we had and delivered the best performances defensively as well.

Then Agger picks up a niggle and Sakho is brought back in against West Ham.

West Ham 1-2 Liverpool (this is where our defensive line starts practically sitting on Mignolet's laps and the difference between Soton, Man U, Spurs games to this game could be seen by a blind man).

Agger is fit again now but Rodgers doesn't bring him back straight into the team.

Liverpool 3-2 Man City (the deep line almost costs us the match)
Norwich 2-3 Liverpool (the deep line almost costs us the match)
Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea (We're *bleep* now)
Palace 3-3 LIverpool (Defense COSTS us the title)

Then as a farewell Rodgers brings Agger back in

Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle (Agger scores)

Sure it's hindsight now but you had a lot of Liverpool fans here and other sites arguing that Daniel should be brought back in to the team. Even Carra and Neville we absolutely slating Skrtel and Sakho after those City/Norwich games and saying that it would cost us if we don't change and it ultimately did cost us.

If I was Agger I would be pissed too for not playing in that decisive run for the club that I would die for for title we haven't won in 25 years. Rodgers wasn't justified at all in dropping him. He got a niggle, Sakho replaced him but was very shaky. Agger is back the next week but doesn't play again until the title charge is over.

BRs changes put you in that position in the first place though tbh. Carra would probably get LFC relegated in charge so I don't see what him weighing in on any decision making matters..

I get what you mean, it seems harsh on Agger.. and I agree that in isolation (not considering system, partnerships, attitude) he was still your best centre half last season - not by much though. But for whatever reason BR didn't see him as a good fit.

Sakho and Lovren are good players, both still young with potential to improve. They will click.

Are you rewriting history AGAIN?

He was treated terribly but Agger was no better than Toure defensively last year.