Joël Matip

[SB]

Feels a little stubborn to persevere with it though doesn't it?

Jurgen? Stubborn ? Surely not

It does to me, but whatever Klopp & Co see in whatever the change is, must have them thinking if it clicks that it will be worth the short to medium term pain.

I hope it clicks sooner rather than once City have an unassailable lead and or we are out of the CL

[danperkins]

I think Fredo is right that it has changed.

Said it in the Ajax thread that it has to be tactical because imo there is no way would Klopp allow TAA to go into business for himself and ignore the defensive side of his game the way he is doing unless it was part of trying something new.

I don't think his role in particular has changed at all, for me he just doesn't have adequate cover in front of him and is either getting caught high up the pitch (which is his attacking norm) or he is getting caught ball watching (which is his defensive norm).

So imo the right flank cover isn't there, Fab isn't doing the business and we are noticing an exposed Trent more because he also not getting those attacking returns we are used to. People have forgave Trent's defensive lapses as we rely on his attacking ability and production from the high wide areas, when that is not happening the focus starts to shift back to his sub par defending.

[Doc_Piptorious]

He did get exposed a bit although imo it is completely down to Trent. Trent got caught ball watching as per usual. Also in front of Trent .. Elliot just cannot provide the cover Trent needs & is doing us no favours defensively as well as not doing much offensively. It's just not his position. So yeah the right side of the team is just not working, even Mo scoring was great but I thought he was nowhere near his best again. Some li for like cover for Fabinho would be nice as he has looked so cumbersome and off the pace for quite some time now.

Oh I am not blaming Matip in the slightest. Just making the point that even an in form world class CB is going to be exposed on a regular basis if there is not a properly functioning team directly ahead of him and directly to the right of him.

Like the off form Gomez found out last week, Matip is going to have situations where he has to make a split second decision whether to stay with the man he should be marking or go to the now free man the RB or RCM should have been marking.

Is damned if he does and damned if he does not scenario as one leaves a huge space behind him and the other leaves a huge space to the side of him.

[danperkins]

Oh I am not blaming Matip in the slightest. Just making the point that even an in form world class CB is going to be exposed on a regular basis if there is not a properly functioning team directly ahead of him and directly to the right of him.

Like the off form Gomez found out last week, Matip is going to have situations where he has to make a split second decision whether to stay with the man he should be marking or go to the now free man the RB or RCM should have been marking.

Is damned if he does and damned if he does not scenario as one leaves a huge space behind him and the other leaves a huge space to the side of him.

absolutely.

[Cormack74]

Most underrated CB ever, a joy to watch.

This

He's got a touch of the Desailly's when he ventures out

This

VVD looked better too

And this

[Shaggy]

Another one down

[ame]https://twitter.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1579767260746764288[/ame]

[Scratch]

Not to worry, Ibu is back!

[Shaggy]

I would've picked Konate on Sunday anyway as he's a better match for Haaland in terms of pace and size, but I'm just sick of it. Sick of the non-stop injuries, sick of this season. Just want it over already.

[Mark79]

What a wretched, cursed season.

[Bender]

Joel the gingerbread man ...top defender but brittle as fcuk

[frank the tank]

Yip. Every season he has some issue....

[Mark79]

Not last season, tbf…

[Charly]

Yeah, last season he was fit pretty much all year.

[baitman]

At this rate we're going to end ip with Nat Phillips in midfield.

[Buzzo]

[ame]https://twitter.com/marckenny/status/1591855966592589825[/ame]