Joel MATIP: 2020/21

My suspicion is that, it might be a career-ending injury so people are keeping a tight lid until things are a bit more clear.

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Klopp said almost straight away he was done for the season. There is no reason to get more granular than that with the updates.

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Yeah, thatā€™s all we need to know at the moment. Maybe even the club donā€™t know yet exactly. Hopefully theyā€™re all good to take part in the majority of our pre season.

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Getting injury updates on Matip is a pointless exercise. Even when he is fit itā€™s only a matter of time before heā€™ll be injured again. I feel sorry for the guy. Excellent player but heā€™s broken, unfortunately. I hope weā€™re not including him in the CB count for next season. He wonā€™t play much.

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If we end up buying two centre backs youā€™ll probably have your confirmation on how serious it is for Matip, I know the rumours have gone around but like most rumours itā€™s hearsay

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The thing with Matip is we have to recruit if he stays or not.

We need a RCB and a LCB or possibly, if we really have to, 2 RCBs with one able to cover LCB at least at a push.

We need ones good enough to start although one could be more of an OK option for now with potential to get better.

We wonā€™t be able to rely on any of Matip, Gomez and VvD to be fit, returned to preinjury form and ready to face the physical strain of week in week out football.

Not immediately anyway, hopefully VvD at least wonā€™t be long getting up to speed.

So we need 2 guys plus VvD and Gomez. We need that if Matip stays and its still what we need if Matip goes.

One of Matip, Phillips, Williams or Davies is effectively going to be our emergency back up 5th choice (and Fabinho and Henderson after that should mean we are never as exposed as this season again).

But I donā€™t see that 5th choice role being right for Matip.

And as we might start the season with only 2 of the other 4 available (who may well be completely new to the club) it could even be argued Matip would be the worst choice out of those 4 as heā€™s the most likely to be unavailable when we most need him at start of the season.

Williams has the benefit of not being a senior player and Phillips or Davies both class as home grown for the squad rules too.

Iā€™m not sure Matip will leave in the summer but Iā€™m not convinced heā€™ll still be here by the end of the following summer.

He might just be a free slot in the squad for 6-12 months as we are unlikely to list 17 foreign senior players next year.

But I still think the player himself may not actually like that and decide to move on.

Updates on Van Dijk and Gomez have been more frequent ā€“ largely due to Matipā€™s avoidance of social media ā€“ but the No. 32 was pictured running outside at Kirkby on Wednesday.

There were no obvious signs of strapping around his ankle, and with less than two months until the start of pre-season it could be that Matip is nearing a return to light training.

It would be a big boost to both player and club, with the 29-year-old undoubtedly an important part of Kloppā€™s squad despite his persistent fitness issues.

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Who dat?

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Who ever he is he got more chance of starting on Sunday than Ben Davies

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Even if we sign Kabak and Konate I want Matip to stay for another year. Maybe he would then want to go back to Schalke if they promote back to the Bundesliga.

Clearly our second best CB in the last 3 years.

2 of the other 3 (Joe, Ibra and Oz) need to prove that they can deliver on Joelā€™s level before we let him go.

If we get 12-17 games from Matip next season we get at least 11 world class performances from him. Thatā€™s how good he has been for us.

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But Gomez and Van Dijk have been our best partnership so I donā€™t think itā€™s as simple as that.

Maybe Matip gets more attention but isnā€™t a sign of a good defender that they donā€™t get noticed?

I think Matip, Gomez and Fabinho all offer something different. I wouldnā€™t say itā€™s clear which one is the best itā€™s all about which what partnerships work and how often they can play together.

Unfortunately Matip cannot be trusted in that respect. Gomez maybe not too. Fabinho is needed too much in midfield. Think we need to go big on CB as soon as possible and form something new whilst we still have VvD as a foundation.

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You will get your wish. Whoā€™s going to sign him? Good player but a physical wreck.

I agree with @AnfieldRdDreamer that CB is the top priority and something we need to sort immediately when the market reopens. If we go into next season thinking this guyā€™s going to rise from the dead and Joe Gomez is going to be fully fit and ready to go from day one then weā€™re going to repeat the mistakes of this season. All our problems stem from the CB issue. Itā€™s totally unbalanced the team. Iā€™d like us to bring two new quality CBs in, but Iā€™m guessing it will only be one. In which case we could be in for another bumpy ride.

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I still think clubs would take a punt on him if we were to be sold. One of the best centre halfā€™s in the world when fit. If you can try keeping him fit and maybe even getting 75% of a season for a mid table or relegation club, would be a fantastic bit of business for any team

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Have you factored in his wages?
I suppose LFC will make up the difference, perhaps?

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Obviously his wages will come down. Whatā€™s he on now like 100k plus a week. Probably will come down like 25%. Also could even be paid when fit only

So itā€™s our dodgy CBs who have converted six out of 173 shots at Anfield since the turn of the year?

Iā€™ll take your word for it.

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When you play in a team, as a forward and you canā€™t trust them to keep a clean sheet, it affects your Psychology when a chance comes along, in that you know you have to score it, therefore putting pressure on yourself. Just a thought as to why we have become so poor in front of goal, but the same could be same for the defenders as they become nervous and drop deeper because the forwards keep missing and they are conscious that 1 error will lead to a goal against and a loss or a draw!

Yeah; Iā€™m sure the thoughts going through Sadioā€™s mind as he bears down on goal are ā€œIā€™d better not miss, as they might counter attack and I donā€™t trust that Phillips blokeā€ā€¦ which then causes him to miss anyway.

Get real.

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Look I do agree, it isnā€™t the defenders fault that the forwards are fooooking up, but never under estimate a players psychology, have you ever played in a team as a defender when the attackers keep missing easy chances???

Just canā€™t fathom why our attackers are missing so many chances.

No, because I was a Number 10. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

A bit like Kaka or Riquelme. Only fatter.

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