Joël MATIP: 2021/22

He didn’t have a particularly good game against Milan as well. It’s not even funny how often he and Van Dijk got turned in Champions League matches they played but I guess that our expectations of them were never this high - which is not fair since both are coming back from torrid time injury-wise but I’m guilty of it, I admit it.

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Missing this guy.

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Could have scored, almost assisted with a brilliant pass carving the Atletico midfield. Gave a lot of memes for ‘No context Joel Matip’ collection. Just a normal Matip day! :sweat_smile:

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One little detail I don’t like about him, the way he doesn’t enter a block/shot properly. Turns his face/body, stays a bit too far, too nice. Man up Joel. But I know he’s better defending a bit higher than in the deep stuff when there are some agile opponents around him.

Sorry had to laugh!!!

Matip the great explorer.

Just imagine…

If he wasn’t so brittle :heart_eyes: :star_struck:

Matip and Agger, the CB pairing for the “if only their bodies weren’t made of crisps” LFC 11. Filled to the brim with World Class players like Aurelio and Sturridge that just couldn’t stay fit!

and Kewell

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I think we’ve done our fragile XI before on here…

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Joel is incredible, absolutely love his game. I thought he was sensational last night.

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There was talk last season that he’d been playing through pain and rushing back too early from injury. The long lay off last year was at least in part about getting himself right. I guess we’ll see…

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I think while Joe and Konate have played well whenever they do and showed great potential, Joel has consistently shown there is another level that both of them have to reach. Paired beside the much more lauded VVD, and deservedly so, Joel has not been any worse than VVD as far as contributions and performances are concerned. In a way, he is the Firmino of our CD. He goes about his work quietly, never quitting when people think he would not have a career here after his injury issues. While he may not have the capacity to play 38 games in the league due to his injury records, I think it is safe with some luck, he and VVD can still be our best pairing for a couple seasons more and hopefully by then Joe and Konate has had alot of chances to prove themselves and learn from two of the best CD in the world.

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I disagree on this.

Prior to his injury, Joe was the prefered pairing with VVD, and it was those 2 that lead us through the 19/20 season when we were defensively killing teams before they even arrived at the ground. Matip could not get anywhere near the team at the stage, and it was only when Gomez got injured with England that Matip got into the team

I think what Matip shows is the value of looking for marginal gains. The fan solution to Matip’s injury problems was bin him off and get another one. The club solution was get in an injury recovery specialist and get him right.

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Probably not the end of Matip’s injuries. But we’re not making the same mistake of remaining with only 3 CB’s out of which 2 have injury problems. And we’re managing his game time. And of course, working on that prevention with new people coming in.

Yes i can certainly remember that season and he was indeed killing it with VVD that season. When I talked about the level that Joe needs to reach, its about the consistency. Joel has a few injury setbacks but he has always come back to that very high level consistently. Joe is honestly struggling after his injuries. He is of course still young and that is why I think he has to reach that level that Joel is showing consistently before he can think of claiming the CB position as his very own.

I’m not sure how you can say Joe is struggling after he was above Joel until he had a season ending injury, and so far has not been given the opportunity of reclaiming his starting spot.

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No insights of course to what is the truth but I think in the few matches he played this season, he has not exactly shown much…granted of course he just came back from a season ending injury but VVD and Matip also had injury problems but definitely came back better than him in terms of rebounding back with the levels. Not sure how he is training too because it would seem Konate is ahead of him when Klopp wants to rest the current starting CBs… don’t get me wrong, Konate and Joe would probably be our future CB pairing if they continue to improve and become our first choice pairing but I still think they need to be more consistent and that hopefully will come with time and proper coaching.