Joe Gomez

[Pablo]

It's a killer blow. It really is.

With Joe back and fit for the rest of the season I really felt the title was ours. Him and Virgil were just that good together.

Without him we need to find another partnership that works and stick with it. That's not easy when both Matip and Lovren seem to always pick up little injuries too.

We need to start picking up clean sheets again but it's really difficult when you have an ever changing back 4.

[Patricks_Berger]

Ridiculous the club have let Clyne leave and brought no one in when they knew this was on the cards.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Didn't expect to see Gomez this season to be honest and maybe best if he writes this one off and concentrates on getting better, long career ahead of him but yeah we have been so much better with him beside Virgil.

I think the constant chopping and changing is a big reason why the defence has looked shakey of late, that and more pressure obviously. Trent out has thrown a spanner in teh works, i'm really hoping he is back fit soon as the balance has looked way off without him.

Think as big an issue in terms of continuity in our play is how we are having to take from the midfield to bolster the back line.

But thankfully we are still picking up points despite the chopping and changing whereas in seasons gone by I suspect the same level of change would have seen wins becomes draws and draws become losses.

[Lecter]

Think as big an issue in terms of continuity in our play is how we are having to take from the midfield to bolster the back line.

But thankfully we are still picking up points despite the chopping and changing whereas in seasons gone by I suspect the same level of change would have seen wins becomes draws and draws become losses.

We looked better when Fabinho came on V Leicester

To me at present hes a must start in midfield especially whilst we have a short age at the back

[danperkins]

Think as big an issue in terms of continuity in our play is how we are having to take from the midfield to bolster the back line.

But thankfully we are still picking up points despite the chopping and changing whereas in seasons gone by I suspect the same level of change would have seen wins becomes draws and draws become losses.

Agree with Lec too, Fab has to start in midfield there is a marked difference in speed of pass and calmness in possession when he plays, the other lads are workers whereas he has a bit of class. At least Milner is an option there now. Just matter of getting Trent and Lovren back fit and hope that Virgil and Matip stay fit. As for letting Clyne leave.... well that was just plain stupid, baffled me at the time as it did many on here and it has come back to haunt us.

[Fuzzy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/MaddockMirror/status/1092390982769876997[/ame]

[The_weatherman]

I think playing him in a big game when we're chasing for the title is putting way too much pressure on him too soon.

I doubt he'll play again for us this season.

Normally I'd agree, but I like him at CB against Wolves and full back might be a better position to learn, I'd rather have Fabinho in midfield, although there is Milner of course, but he's not pulling up any trees at right back either.

[Doc_Piptorious]

We looked better when Fabinho came on V Leicester

To me at present hes a must start in midfield especially whilst we have a short age at the back

We did look better with him in midfield, and for me he would be a starter as well.

But that is pretty much my point, if we are getting to a stage where we are looking at Fabinho to cover at the back then we are weaker in the centre which in turn means more pressure being placed on the makeshift back line.


We are sort of of ending up with a chopped and changed midfield as well a the back line at present. My own logic would be if the back line is depleted, then still play the best available midfield in front of it and pad out the back line with whatever cover we have at that point.

At least then we have a strong midfield protecting the somewhat weaker than normal back line.

Would be very happy if Klopp went back to that double pivot set up in midfield that he deployed a few times this season to great effect. Let Fabinho and Wijnaldum be that double pivot with the more advance CM role being done by one from Shaqiri or Keita. Have the usual trio up front and then we have Milner or Henderson to cover the RB slot with Camacho as back up whilst we wait on TAA to return.

[labourRed]

We rarely get full info on injuries. It's all a bit odd. Given how long he has been out it's unlikely it was a hairline fracture. This procedure would seem to be a resetting of the bone and if so that's date is extremely optimistic. I can't think of another procedure it could be. In any case i treat any injury news with s degree of scepticism, e.g. We were told TAA could be a few weeks.

[Maxiedge]

A little bit of a setback but Lovren and Matip are more than capable understudies. You're not going to find too many defenders of their calibre sitting on benches around Europe.

[Doc_Piptorious]

A little bit of a setback but Lovren and Matip are more than capable understudies. You're not going to find too many defenders of their calibre sitting on benches around Europe.

When fully fit that is a spot on take, but the issue with those two, for me anyway, is how they, Lovern in particular, can be prone to missing games due to picking up knocks or bugs.

Puts us in a position where resting a CB is difficult if we only have three senior CBs available, and an injury to any of the three then has us down relying on two CBs to avoid any sort of knock, bug or suspension for the rest of the season.

[baitman]

A little bit of a setback but Lovren and Matip are more than capable understudies. You're not going to find too many defenders of their calibre sitting on benches around Europe.

Thats all true.
But not much use to us if they are almost always in the physio room and not availabe for the bench.

[Maxiedge]

Surely they've had their fill of injuries/treatment room for the season?

I feel like we're coming out of our annual rotten luck phase and should be clear for the rest of the season

[labourRed]

Joe out til April or the middle of it. That gives him a month left of the season but given he's failed to recover already not seeing him again this season wouldn't surprise me.

Lovren is being worked on to be available for Bayern. I think that's optimistic given the titbits we've been fed on that one. Four very good centre backs and only one of them has a solid injury record. Deffo need one punted and maybe two brought in to replace.

[Fredo]

If we're bringing one or two in, then we need one or two out.