Joël Matip

[BobTheCharmer]

Apparently he's never heard of Alan Hansen. Get him a video player and TV quick someone.

[red g]

Love the honesty from a player for once!!!

[little dave hedgehog]

And did you..?

no.

[kubrickscube]

Ha! Beats the usual propaganda where we're led to believe our newest exotic starlet played football in the barrios with a Liverpool shirt on as a child and had Michael Owen posters on their bedroom wall!

[danperkins]

Ha! Beats the usual propaganda where we're led to believe our newest exotic starlet played football in the barrios with a Liverpool shirt on as a child and had Michael Owen posters on their bedroom wall!

[Charly]

"Have I heard of Alan Hansen and Kenny Dalglish? No... Why? Sounds like a couple of cunts to me... "

... and So ended the career of Torben Michaelangelo Piechnik

[Charly]

I ewas just having a conversation today about us challanging and not being a one man team... but then I thought if we lost Matip it could potentially derail our season, as the other defenders are all a bit unreliable... Sakho is mental, Lovren and Lucas are liabilities with their possesion, not seen enough of Ragnar to pass judgement, but I do think a solid centreback is needed, as both cover and a partner

Not saying I called it...

[Fredo]

He helps us control the ball at the back so much.

[McDermotX]

Not sure it's as simple as missing Matip (although obviously the change ain't ideal)......there's plenty of blame to go around in almost all areas in that second half.

[Charly]

Come on... he transforms the defence... we cant abide pressure without him

[McDermotX]

I'm not saying it's not a factor by any means, but the pressure was telling in more areas that the CBs in that second half. Both the midfield and the defence were a disgrace for large swathes of the period when they were right on top of us.
Would Matip have made a difference - probably, probably not. We thought that game was sewn up and we were ****ing wrong. And a number of players who decided to take a rest in the second half need to take a long look in the mirror.

[Exiled_red]

I'm not saying it's not a factor by any means, but the pressure was telling in more areas that the CBs in that second half. Both the midfield and the defence were a disgrace for large swathes of the period when they were right on top of us.
Would Matip have made a difference - probably, probably not. We thought that game was sewn up and we were ****ing wrong. And a number of players who decided to take a rest in the second half need to take a long look in the mirror.

There was more to it than just missing Matip.

[Charly]

I agree, although matip makes the players around him more confident, and helps to keep the shape of the team. Lucas on the other hand is not a good centre back... there were no leaders, no one to take responsibility. We urgently need another centreback who we can rely upon

[Lecter]

Matip isn't just a good player, he's a good organiser and talker

He's also positionally superb so when someone is out of position he is often positioned to compensate for this

Massive miss today

[Fredo]

We missed his composure when we needed to keep the ball when Bournemouth started pressing higher up the pitch. His ability to bring the ball into midfield was the thing we missed today. Tactically it gives us an advantage when we can be overrun there.