The Saga of Daniel Agger: Give the Boy a New Contract

Since Daniel Agger stepped on to the pitch for Liverpool against Birmingham at the start of 2006, he has continued to impress Liverpool's fans with his wonderful skills.

The classy Dane is a perfect example of the importance of an unorthodox defender. He demonstrates security and also provides the team with an extraordinary threat in terms of his set piece skills and his up-field play. He also has a magnificent left foot.

Now, Agger might not be as strong defensively as Carragher or Skrtel, but he gives the team a whole new dimension when he is playing.

It is not particularly surprising that Liverpool has been "struggling" with the creative part of their game during his absence. Even as both Carragher and Skrtel are superb, they do not demonstrate any sort of goal threat.

This is proved by statistics that tells us that Carragher has scored a record five goals in 560 appearances, the same amount Agger has managed in 71. Skrtel has yet to score in 36 appearances.

I know that Agger has played a few games this season, some where Liverpool has drawn, yet this does not diminish the fact that he could very well have been that extra amount of creativity Liverpool so sorely missed in Steven Gerrard's absence.

If he was given a string of matches, combined with some more confidence from Benitez, Agger would be able to find the form that once earned him a large amount of applause. Some even thought he was the best defender in the Premier League; in terms of technique that is.

His partnership with Carragher was immense; while Carragher would take care of the hard jobs, Agger would supply the midfield with superb long range passes, goals, and a great overview.

Agger was, and still is, a great talent. In my opinion, one of the biggest around. So why are Liverpool not handing him a new contract? 

Have Liverpool forgotten his talent? They certainly shouldn't have. European giants Real Madrid, Inter, and AC Milan interested and even the newly-rich Manchester City are pursuing his services.

I do think Agger has been treated unfairly with regards to Skrtel and all the injuries. He has not been given a fair chance, such as the one Skrtel was granted since his return.

Therefore, I understand why the frustration increases for him, as he can see his name being linked to the biggest clubs in Europe every day. Rafael Benitez does not appreciate him in the same way as he used to. He seems to have given him a second fiddle status.

So should he move on, or should he stay? And is he good enough to be in contention for the place as Liverpool's No. 1 defender?