Konate or Matip: Who should start next to Van Dijk for Liverpool?
We as Liverpool fans are not used to having proper squad depth. It might explain why we’re always so eager to pit players against one another and declare one the winner.
We did it with Kostas Tsimikas and Andrew Robertson earlier on in the season. Instead of marvelling at the fact we had left-back cover for a player many consider to be the best in the world in their position, there seemed to be an eagerness to declare Tsimikas was …
Ibrahima Konaté & The First Team Shirt
When Jürgen Klopp became the Liverpool manager his central defenders consisted of Martin Škrtel, Mamadou Sakho, Dejan Lovren, and maybe a few more youngsters. As we enter the crunch period of this season, Liverpool possess perhaps the strongest array of central defenders in European football. When they won the Premier League two years ago, it was a Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez pairing which helped propel the Reds to their first title in 30 years. The year prior, Joël …
How To Approach The Transfer Window
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Liverpool's Joe Gomez conundrum
The centre-back situation
Last season, Liverpool had no centre-backs. Now, the Reds allegedly have too many.
According to a report, albeit not the most reliable ones, Joe Gomez isn’t happy with his situation at Anfield. The 24-year-old is yet to start in the Premier League this term and the majority of his minutes have arrived in weakened teams in Carabao Cup matches.
It wasn’t that long ago he was the first choice right-sided centre-back beside Virgil Van Dijk. Injuries and …
Liverpool's handling of Ibrahima Konate
Ibrahima Konate has made just two starts for Liverpool following his £36million transfer from RB Leipzig this summer.
The first arrived in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League and then he was included in the starting XI for the 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Norwich City. It has now been close to a month since he last featured for the Reds and I’ve seen complaints from some fans.
With injuries stacking up elsewhere, people are starting …
The Rearguard Solution
Centre-back partnerships can offer sublime foundations and turn teams into serial winners. Alessandro Costacurta and Franco Baresi jump to the front of that formidable list, as a partnership that allowed the rest of the side to dominate literally everyone.
In the modern game (especially within the Premier League), the ferocity of play and sheer culmination of games has now enforced adjustment to Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp’s thinking. The reds have started the season in an impressive manner, and the four …
Joel Matip - Elite When Fit
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Saúl Ñíguez - The Lowdown
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Konate expected to kick-start Klopp’s summer rebuild
The 2020/21 English Premier League campaign was a bittersweet one for those loyal to the Anfield club. Supporters were unable to attend last summer’s trophy presentation, missing out on a piece of history. They were then locked out of games for most of the year as their team battled to defend their title from the challenge of Manchester City.
The Reds lead the title race in winter, but several injuries to crucial positions caused Liverpool’s collapse. The strain of pushing …
Liverpool Need To Address Lack of Height In Summer Window
With so many defensive injuries, Liverpool's season has really suffered.
It'll take no level of footballing comprehension to know that without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip for most of the season the Reds have suffered in a defensive sense.
But so many absences in their back-line has hurt the Anfield club elsewhere.
Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson -- the team's creative hubs -- have had to cut their attacking wings and play in a more reserved …