Honestly, I’ve though Gomez has continued to look good as a backup RB… and a respectable, if inconsistent, 4th choice CB
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Gomez is 100% worth his place in the squad, as both a back up cb and rb.
At his best he is in the conversation to start at cb, but since he missed a lot of action, he hasn’t got back to his best and he looks like he needs games to find his rhythm and form, and those games might be in short supply.
Matip is the one who should be replaced, hopefully with someone of a level to be able to progress and take over from VVD, but until then, to see plenty of action as part of the group.
On Matip, I think he has been a smashing player for us on a Bosman. He is still good, but past his best, and only a year from the exit door. If we sign a new central defender, Matip is that bit farther away.
Caveat on Gomez:
If someone would give us decent money for him (we won’t get any or very much money for Matip) then Gomez could be vulnerable to an exit, due to reinvesting the fee on someone who might go higher up the food chain.
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I can see uses for him as a squad player. But he’s not going to see much game time. Not a good place for him to be when he’s unable to make a place for himself. He’s the third choice RCB and probably soon to be third choice RB. A signing of another CB only pushes him down the order.
He might get more minutes when Matip leaves because he exactly isn’t displacing him from the team. A fit Matip right now is still better than the VVD we’ve seen post prickford.
After this season , we’ll be better placed letting the youngsters have the minutes he’s getting now. I hope he proves me wrong and gets sustained gameplay as well as maintains fitness , but the time is running out for him.
The problem with Gomez is he isn’t good enough to be a 4th choice centre back, not unless the other 3 never get injured.
His level has been really poor for a few years, we should really be getting to the point of replacing him if he doesn’t improve. Being homegrown and ‘versatile’ isn’t much use if he’s rubbish.
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If we proceed with this back 3 he will be needed.
Yeah but he has shocking mental lapses within games and then doesn’t recover from those mistakes…they affect the rest of his performance. The first big one was THAT away loss to Villa (although the whole team was more or less culpable). But it shook him more than the others.
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That’s the problem with Joe. He looks good just 1 out of every 5 games.
100% agree. Man City with their financial ability would have pushed him out 2 years ago being generous. I’m just saying why the club would keep. Expensive to replace and probably needed if we are to go with that back 3.
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I think he’s fine as the fourth choice CB IF he gets a run of games to get into groove.
The problem is he never gets those matches. As opposed to someone like Matip who even if he’s just returning from injury gives a 7/10 performance most of the times when in the XI.
Gomez doesn’t do that. Takes a run of games to get producing and then gets injured.
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Bradley Barcola from Lyon and Castello Lukeba also from Lyon especially Barcola who will be as good as Mbappe in a couple of years
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Been looking at left-footed centre halves and Lukeba looks an outstanding prospect. Strahinja Pavlović is another promising option.
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Oddest thing about centre back is it could be anyone, we’ve had very few links so I assume we’ve been keeping the names close to our chest or the clubs we are dealing with are happy to keep it stum.
I assume it will be someone in Europe
Or we’re not getting anyone
I’m solely going off the most trusted journalist on these matters
Gary off YouTube?
No Paul Joyce but live in your squalor of negativity I don’t care.
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That’s great MH, is it a quote?
Yeah I believe this is the reference:
Hurst, M. (2023). Musings. The Anfield Noise (2)3, 23-24. Doi: 10.19.6/FECKOFFSANDCHEATS
I made it up to be honest 
I am reading Geert Mak’s “In Europe” which probably influenced the words.
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