Liverpool supporters have been pretty upbeat throughout the current two-week break for internationals after seeing their side record a ninth Premier League victory last time out.

Jurgen Klopp’s men went into their clash with bottom side Fulham off the back of drawing 1-1 with Arsenal in their previous league encounter, a result which maintained their unbeaten start to the league season. And the Reds continued that into the November international break as goals from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed a routine 2-0 success for the Merseyside giants, a result which keeps them within two points of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Thus, there have been many thrilled Liverpudlians up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have been heaping praise on defender Dejan Lovren in recent times, with many suggesting that the Croatia international is a top class defender - one supporter even said he was ‘world class’.

And while the £90,000-a-week ace (as per Spotrac) deserves credit for a fine 2018, it’s embarrassing how far wide of the mark those Liverpool fans are regarding the defender - he’s certainly not in that world class, or even top class, bracket.

Ultimately, the 29-year-old made the move to Anfield back in 2014 after impressing in his first season in English football at Southampton, only for the centre back to then seriously struggle to replicate that level of performance in the early stages of his Liverpool career.

There have been far too many occasions over the years in which the Croat has made errors that have cost the Reds at the back - how can he be world class when it took until Virgil van Dijk, who is world class, to arrive back in January for Lovren to produce the goods?

If he was a world class defender, he would have helped Liverpool get through those testing times defensively and come out on the other side - yes, he has certainly improved in the last 12 months or so, but where was this improved Lovren when the Reds needed it most?

And if he really is a world class, or even top class, centre back, then how is it that he cannot regularly command a place in Klopp’s starting eleven? Yes, Joe Gomez has been excellent this season, but he’s not yet in that world class bracket - ultimately, there aren’t many other top class or world class centre backs sat on the bench at their respective clubs.

It cannot be denied that Lovren has improved greatly in the last year or so, as evidenced by the fact that he played in this year’s Champions League final and the World Cup final, both of which incidentally his team went on to lose.

But to say he is world class, or even top class, is very much wide of the mark - a good defender yes, but a top class defender would get in ahead of Gomez, who himself is certainly a fine defender, in Klopp’s back four, which Lovren isn’t doing on a regular basis.

In fact, it’s embarrassing how far wide of the mark those Liverpool fans are with their assessment of the 29-year-old’s capabilities.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!