The Case For The Defence

The Albert
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Hi Everyone,
I’ve been searching, and I can’t find a thread about our defence, so I’m creating one. Please forgive me if there is one already.
If this really is the only thread about this hugely important part of the team, it just shows how lucky we’ve been, since Jürgen arrived, to have a relatively stable back line.
However, as Matip is starting to show signs of age, Van Dijk is not quite his imperious self, Gomez seems so have regressed, and Konate is still learning, we have reached a stage where decisions have to be made about the centre backs.
The full back situation seems quite healthy, with Robbo understudied by Tsimikas and Arnold having Gomez and maybe Henderson as back ups.

What changes would people like to see? Who would you add? Who should be replaced? Should we be content with this backline for the coming season?

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A right back BackUp similar to what we have in Tsimikas for Robbo.

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That Ramsay chap looks decent. :woozy_face::woozy_face:

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Good thread.

Funny thing is, the defending aspect in our team starts with the attack. So, before even talking about defenders, I’d say that in this pre-season, attackers will have to show much better defending from the front. Then, the midfielders to follow that, hopefully with the help of new arrivals and current players raising their form. Then, the defence will have to push up more, hopefully have “less” to do, but within that, cut out the individual mistakes from last season.

Now… more on individuals.

Ideally, I’d say Gomez and Matip are not good enough to be here anymore going forward. I hoped one would leave this summer and if no major improvement happens, the other one next summer. I do admit that they can both be useful in some capacity over a season. We’ve seen it before, the CB dynamic changed a lot in the RCB position alongside Virgil.

Even Konate, he’s averaging 24.6 per season in his last 6 years and 26.5 in his last two for Liverpool. Plus, he’s not the finished article yet. Certainly not secure enough overall in terms of availability and consistency for a CB, not to have (new) competition. I thought we would be looking more RCB this summer, but obviously more of a LCB is on the agenda. I guess we want a player like Ake.

Virgil showed some weaknesses last season and in last weeks. He played a lot of football also. Still our best CB, that’s not even a question. We will hope he can recover some of his form next season.

I’m happy to still have Robbo and Tsimi at LB. Knowing that the latter might be sold at some point if a good offer arrives, we have a plan what to do and the players wants to go.

I didn’t think this would be the summer when we buy a new RB, that could happen in 2024 or in a few years, depending on other things. For now, Trent is not a full time midfielder. He might be that for England from now on, but he’s not for us.

A left sided CB might give us more balance. Even if Gomez and Konate can play at LCB, we probably want someone more comfortable there.

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Now when I think about it…

I think we already have a defence thread?

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Stop shipping goals, ya useless turds!

Problem solved.

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If we can make the goal smaller or field 2 GK, we might concede lesser goals. Just a suggestion.

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I did all the searching, but couldn’t find anything.
Probably did it wrong, knowing me.

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I thought we had ‘The defence - what’s the answer?’ and one for the midfield and attack also…

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No, I had a look too, went back as far as the start of the 21/22 season.

Frankly if there is a thread it’s been inactive so long I don’t think anyone could object to a new one being started :joy:

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Is me TIA leaking into me TAN?

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No leaking in the defence thread!

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Someone will find a reason.

We are a resourceful bunch…

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I do think Robbo can transition into a left sided CB.

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Read somewhere today that Matip has been offered a new contract… Will try and find the article

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:man_facepalming:t2:

Nah, that must be a bad joke.

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Can think of plenty worst things we could do than to keep him around for few more years while we ponder who exactly we want to replace him long term, Been injury free the last 2 years…and I still very much like him as a player and think he’d be a more than capable 3rd choice option for us when needed.

I’d imagine we’ll hold tight until Christmas time and evaluate how many minutes he’s played and how consistent before coming to a decision.

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We don’t have to imagine worst things we could do because we want to move forward. And this, if true (I don’t think it is), in isolation is a wrong thing to do.

At some point, we have to draw a line and stop giving new deals to certain players. He’s been good for us, but he will be 32 this summer and his contract ends when he’s 33. He’s not the type of player I’d put by trust into, going into his mid 30’s.

He had a calf issue in autumn and was on the bench 18 times last season, so that’s also a part that he was fit in the second part of the season. Konate more or less took over his position since Paris.

It’s already enough that it looks like he will stay next season, nobody is interested enough to buy him. No doubt we’d accept what would be a ‘normal’ offer, which would help us fund a new CB this summer.

We’re Liverpool, we should be able to find new players. This summer massive focus goes to midfield. We might get a defender. In one of the next windows, we might look more at the CB situation and see what else we need.

Matip staying more than next season? No, not enough reasons. It’s time to go.

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We badly need a CB this summer.

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You have to think that’s priority No.1 right now.