Joël Matip

[BigChief]

No mention of his role in the 2nd goal?

He carried the ball forward, bypassed United's midfield with a lovely pass to Diaz, received it right back and fizzed a majestic first time pass to Mane, that Thiago would have been proud of.

His charges forward have been devestating for us 2nd half of season and there are few greater sights in football today.

Played/plays like a wannabe number 6. And he's better than most number 6's barrng ours.

[Charly]

Played/plays like a wannabe number 6. And he's better than most number 6's barrng ours.

A number six?

He wants to be more like Dejan Lovren?

[danperkins]

Brilliant defender who's game seems to have evolved, loving his front foot approach and burst into the midfield. He's so under rated it's ridiculous. It was always just his body that has let him down but fingers crossed he's pushed through that.

[baitman]

Brilliant defender who's game seems to have evolved, loving his front foot approach and burst into the midfield. He's so under rated it's ridiculous. It was always just his body that has let him down but fingers crossed he's pushed through that.

The modern day Hansen, great defending and loves to carry the ball out.
Similar to Jockey, he also gets vertigo when he gets 10 yards into the other half and often goes to ****

[BG1973]

No mention of his role in the 2nd goal?

He carried the ball forward, bypassed United's midfield with a lovely pass to Diaz, received it right back and fizzed a majestic first time pass to Mane, that Thiago would have been proud of.

His charges forward have been devestating for us 2nd half of season and there are few greater sights in football today.

That first time pass was bonkers for a CB. He's the second best CB in the league.

[danperkins]

He's outstanding

[Paul12]

He's outstanding

Agreed...

...but in the summer we will need to decide whether to 'promote' or sell Gomez and that could be a key moment for Matip.

[danperkins]

Matip is streets ahead of Gomez imo, Gomez has the speed and that recovery pace is great but we usually see that when he's made a mistake & he's 6 years younger than Matip ... although Matip is only 30. He's not great on the ball and his positioning is suspect. IMO Matip although ungainly looking is no slouch, very intelligent CB, he's more composed, is a goal threat and has an amazing partnership with VVD. When fit he's one of the most underrated CB in the world imo & he has added so much to his game this season.

Both are injury concerns if you take past history into account but shockingly enough Matip has been fine this season as we've been able to manage him (I've just jinxed him haven't !)

[Doc_Piptorious]

Matip is streets ahead of Gomez imo, Gomez has the speed and that recovery pace is great but we usually see that when he's made a mistake & he's 6 years younger than Matip ... although Matip is only 30. He's not great on the ball and his positioning is suspect. IMO Matip although ungainly looking is no slouch, very intelligent CB, he's more composed, is a goal threat and has an amazing partnership with VVD. When fit he's one of the most underrated CB in the world imo & he has added so much to his game this season.

Both are injury concerns if you take past history into account but shockingly enough Matip has been fine this season as we've been able to manage him (I've just jinxed him haven't !)

Think you are being a little bit harsh on Joe there.

Yes Matip is a top drawer CB. Easily one of the best in the league, this season in particular.

However Gomez showed the last time he had a long run in the side alongside VVD that he was not out of place in the team and more than did his share of the defensive duties. He is good at, and quick in, bringing the ball out of play, he is decent in the air, maybe not VVD good but not far off of Matip.

His positioning is good for a young CB, more than good in fact. He is strong and pacy and more than willing to get stuck in. All he really has against him is he needs more minutes to gain more experience as he has shown in the past that he was getting better season on season with experience.

Is he as good as Matip right now? No probably not however he has shown more than enough to suggest that he could get to that level and long before he reaches the age Matip is at now.

And this season Joe has managed to stay injury free a lot too, he has just been unlucky that Matip came into the team and also stayed mostly injury free along with Konate coming into the squad. With a tiny bit of luck we could end up with a very good pairing of Gomez and Konate when Matip and VVD reach the stage of being phased out.

For me the answer is a no brainer, keep both and extend Joe's contract. If none of our four CBs want out, then keep them all. Not many clubs have that much quality in depth at CB and we would be mad to look to lose any of the four if they do not look to leave.

[Kenneth]

Think you are being a little bit harsh on Joe there.

Yes Matip is a top drawer CB. Easily one of the best in the league, this season in particular.

However Gomez showed the last time he had a long run in the side alongside VVD that he was not out of place in the team and more than did his share of the defensive duties. He is good at, and quick in, bringing the ball out of play, he is decent in the air, maybe not VVD good but not far off of Matip.

His positioning is good for a young CB, more than good in fact. He is strong and pacy and more than willing to get stuck in. All he really has against him is he needs more minutes to gain more experience as he has shown in the past that he was getting better season on season with experience.

Is he as good as Matip right now? No probably not however he has shown more than enough to suggest that he could get to that level and long before he reaches the age Matip is at now.

And this season Joe has managed to stay injury free a lot too, he has just been unlucky that Matip came into the team and also stayed mostly injury free along with Konate coming into the squad. With a tiny bit of luck we could end up with a very good pairing of Gomez and Konate when Matip and VVD reach the stage of being phased out.

For me the answer is a no brainer, keep both and extend Joe's contract. If none of our four CBs want out, then keep them all. Not many clubs have that much quality in depth at CB and we would be mad to look to lose any of the four if they do not look to leave.

This is the bit that doesn’t fit so well with my, admittedly hazy, memory.

[Fredo]

Matip is streets ahead of Gomez imo, Gomez has the speed and that recovery pace is great but we usually see that when he's made a mistake & he's 6 years younger than Matip ... although Matip is only 30. He's not great on the ball and his positioning is suspect. IMO Matip although ungainly looking is no slouch, very intelligent CB, he's more composed, is a goal threat and has an amazing partnership with VVD. When fit he's one of the most underrated CB in the world imo & he has added so much to his game this season.

Both are injury concerns if you take past history into account but shockingly enough Matip has been fine this season as we've been able to manage him (I've just jinxed him haven't !)

Wasn't it you who said Matip should have been sold last year as he's injury prone?

We should all wait with bated breath what happens to Gomez next year.

[Buzzo]

This is the bit that doesn’t fit so well with my, admittedly hazy, memory.

He was amazing for the best part of the title winning season, and then got injured. He hasn't ever quite had either the opportunities or put in the performances at Centre Back since. He must have been waiting all season for Matip to get injured and it just hasn't happened!

I've actually been really impressed with him at right back in his last few appearances.

[Mark79]

Gomez was very good for the dozen or so games up until his injury last season too.
But yeah him and Virgil were a superb pairing in 19/20.

[Paul12]

In Paisley's day, we used to renew the team at the rate of about three players a season (so that over four years the whole team is renewed). Sometimes the players were no better; they were just younger. Kenny didn't do that, and all of a sudden everyone was old at the same time. We use rotating squads now, but the principle ought to be the same. And, if an 'oldster' is demoted from the first eleven, we'll need to be realistic and move them on unless remaining as a member of the rotating squad doesn't block anyone's path.

This season we have in effect added Ibu and Luis to the squad. Ibu was back-up in the first half of the season but has now become akin to Joel's alternate. I think in the interests of progression, that'll need to change next season (with Ibu a first 11 player and Joel at best as his back-up). But, if that is how it is, Joe will leave. These are the tough decisions managers have to make.

[danperkins]

Wasn't it you who said Matip should have been sold last year as he's injury prone?

We should all wait with bated breath what happens to Gomez next year.

Absolutely, adn this is his first season in 4 years where he has gone injury free. I also said he was a brilliant CB and such a shame about his body. We have brough Konate in and have been able to rotate Matip and that's paid off massively. Gomez won't be here much longer.