There is something we love as football fans more than anything else: singling out a scapegoat and ripping them to shreds.
Is it fair? No.
Is it exactly what's about to happen to Dejan Lovren? Yes.
February 29th doesn't roll around too often (just once in every four years to be exact), and you would be forgiven for thinking it's a day cursed by the footballing gods if you're a Liverpool supporter.
After well over a calendar year without a Premier League defeat - which saw the Reds go 44 games unbeaten and equal the longest winning run in the league's history - the dream of silencing Arsenal's ever-present 'Invincibles' Twitter bots has passed the Reds by.
Not only this, but it all unfolded in quite some style.
The Reds were not only beaten by relegation-threatened Watford, but humiliated. Nigel Pearson's tactical master plan stifled the European and world champions, exploiting their weaknesses, and putting the runaway league leaders to the sword in a comfortable 3-0 victory.
There was one main weakness that Watford had evidently identified from the first kick: Lovren himself.
A self-proclaimed man-mountain at the heart of the Liverpool defence, the Croat was no match for the pure physicality of Hornets striker Troy Deeney, who wreaked havoc on a predictably vulnerable Lovren.
It's fair to say he wasn't helped out by those around him, with every single Liverpool player performing way below their usual standard. But the Reds conceded three goals for the first time in the Premier League this season, and there's only one real variable.
Embroiled in a battle of sh**housery with Deeney, Lovren had a torrid evening in which he consistently looked well and truly out of his depth against the Hornets - who have 52 fewer points than Liverpool even after ripping them apart at Vicarage Road.
Deeney pinned Lovren for Watford's opener, with the centre-back seemingly unwilling to compromise the integrity of his individual duel with the striker for even a split second, while the 2018 World Cup finalist was caught out of position as Ismaila Sarr found himself one on one with Alisson, before calmly chipping over the Brazilian and wheeling away in celebration.
Now if this was a one-off, freak event, then there would be little cause for concern.
But it isn't. It really isn't.
Lovren's last start prior to the trip to Vicarage Road saw the Reds throw away a comfortable two-goal lead to League One minnows Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, with himself and Joel Matip putting in a performance not even worthy of their lower league opponents. No offence Shrewsbury fans.
The 30-year-old was responsible for Shrewsbury's equaliser, and was torn apart by a strike partnership with the surnames Cummings and Whalley.
Lovren has started nine Premier League games this season, keeping just one clean sheet away at Bournemouth - which barely counts considering the defender was substituted after just 40 minutes due to injury. When you consider that Liverpool have conceded just 20 goals all season in the league, and Lovren has been on the pitch for 11 of them in spite of his lack of game time, it doesn't exactly exude confidence.
Poor oul Dejan Lovren will never play for Liverpool again
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) February 29, 2020
It's not a coincidence.
Despite year in and year out proving to the world that he is simply an unreliable defender with an ego that is light years from his worth, Lovren has been at Liverpool for just under six years. Six!
His impetuous attitude on the pitch, as well as his basic lack of understanding for the position in which he has played for the entirety of his career, has led to the defender consistently exhibiting error-strewn performances littered with gaffes and moments of madness. This is simply the world of Dejan Lovren.
And yet, despite his evident inadequacy, even arguably the world's best man-manager Jurgen Klopp has been unable see that Lovren simply doesn't cut it in a Liverpool side hell bent on world domination. You can't expect to be invincible if you have to rely on the performances of the Croatian centre-back, even if they are increasingly fleeting.
While Lovren is not the only one to blame for Liverpool's haphazard showing against Watford - with the Reds' attacking unit mustering just one shot on target all game - the defender cannot escape unscathed.
The embarrassing defeat should serve as one of the gazillion warnings that Lovren is not worthy of even walking the same grass as teammate and centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk.
Watford has to be the final of many, many straws.
Source : 90min