He’s so poor! Liverpool fans want star axed and 29yo back in
Liverpool fans want Joe Gomez out and Joel Matip in.
The former Charlton youngster was given the nod against Leeds United, but didn’t have a great game as the team conceded three.
On another day they could have easily got all three points at Anfield – if it weren’t for a Mohamed Salah masterclass.
In fairness to Joe Gomez, the only defender who left the game with any credibility was Andy Robertson – and that includes goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Virgil van Dijk was subject to a few home truths from the commentary box, but that hasn’t stopped the criticism turning away from van Dijk and towards the England international.
It was always going to be interesting to see who started out of Joel Matip or Gomez, and while the latter got the nod on Saturday, the situation is fluid and Matip will always have a good shot at making the team for Chelsea.
Our player ratings from the Leeds win gave Gomez a better score than van Dijk, and while it criticised some of his concentration and positioning, we added that he performed well in his duels against Patrick Bamford.
Chelsea will provide an entirely different threat to the one Liverpool faced this weekend, and it’ll be interesting to see how Jurgen Klopp decides to counter it. They’ve got a whole new attacking arsenal to choose from, having signed Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz over the summer.
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Will the gaffer want Matip in there, who brings the ball out from the back so confidently and looks to hit passes that progress play forward, or will he stick with Gomez and give him the minutes he needs to get back to his best?
Another question should be asked of van Dijk. Liverpool need him to cut out the errors that crept into his game since the end of lockdown. With no replacement for him in the squad, the Dutchman needs to be on song every time he steps onto the field.
This could expose some of the gaps in the squad already. Without Dejan Lovren hanging around, there is very little serious competition for places. Lovren might not have been liked by everyone, but there’s no doubt that his presence in the squad would have kept everyone sharp.
Next. Three talking points as Liverpool scraped past Leeds – we rely on Mo Salah. dark
It’ll be a huge risk if Klopp goes into November with just three senior central defenders, and the struggle of Gomez and the call to bring Matip in after just one game highlights that even further.