12 Mar 2019 09:52:31
Morning Ed
Who would you play at CB alongside VVD against Bayern. Matip, or Lovren?

{Ed001's Note - depends on if Lovren is fit to start.}

1.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 11:55:37
Ruin Matips confidence only for Lovren to be injured again next week? Na. Matip for me.

{Ed001's Note - Matip is only there until Gomez is fit anyway.}

2.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 12:28:43
I just hope he’s more awake as he was poor at the weekend after a run of decent form, giving the corner for Burnley’s first goal when under little pressure and he could have put it out for a throw.

3.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 12:35:44
That wasn’t the question bro :p.

{Ed001's Note - Matip is awful, I really do not feel comfortable when he is playing.}

4.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 12:38:01
Is Gonez far away Ed? I no you don’t always like to say mate for obvious reasons but just wondered if you had any update. Is he even training yet?

{Ed001's Note - he is running and moving well apparently. Meant to be back for next month.}

5.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 12:51:28
But trisy. Pre vvd, you hated how klopp/ Rodgers kept swapping cbs about and always said that for any sort of partnership between cbs they had to play together. So whilst I agree, matip is not great, he and vvd have built something the last few weeks, and Lovren is not that much better to alleviate that work. Obviously if it’s gomez, he comes straight back in, on talent and his partnership with vvd.

{Ed001's Note - I just disagree completely that Lovren is not a hell of a lot better than Matip.}

6.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 13:11:31
Ah okay bud, fair enough.

{Ed001's Note - otherwise I would agree with what you are saying. And there were signs that a partnership was developing at the weekend. It is just my heart can't cope with Matip at the back.}

7.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 13:25:13
Be fair, lerchy, there was a cyclone going on at Anfield against Burnley. A lot of balls were held up or catapulted. I wouldn't blame Matip for that particular one and he at least made sure it went out of touch.

8.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 13:50:00
Lovren is miles better than Matip. Which says more about Matip than it does about Lovren! Been counting the days until Gomez returns for too long now.

9.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 13:57:51
I’m not sure Virgil why not head it for a throw in instead of the corner? Poor decision making if you ask me although Matip has been playing well recently and I think he should start at Munich for the reasons benny states and liven seems to struggle against physical strikers.

10.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 14:07:50
Lol matip is no good, he constantly gives the ball away, he's useless and only being played because we have no other viable options. Give me lovren or gomez before him any day of the week. Imo he has to be moved on because one of these days I'll have a heavy heart attack, he cringe worthy.

Lol each to their own opinions of course but when you think how far we've come, we're challenging for the title and matip is our cb atm? That to me is a big problem.

11.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 14:33:29
They're both Awful but Matip edges it for me. Less mistakes than Lovren (even though he still makes loads)

{Ed002's Note - Remarkable that Liverpool are doing so well with so many "awful" players in the side.}

12.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 13:23:45
Trisy, 🤣love it. To be fair Lovren and Matip both have there weaknesses and I wouldn’t fancy Lovren against lewandowski as his weakness seems to be against big strikers, Kane and lukaku have both made him look silly before.

13.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 13:56:00
Cheers Ed, next month then for Joe so another 3-4weeks. Slightly longer in total than the initial 6 weeks that was said when he had the op. Then he has to be match ready so likely hood is he might get 3-4games.

{Ed001's Note - I believe that they are expecting him to be ready to play by the beginning of next month mate or even the end of this.}

14.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 15:15:51
Football has shown time and time again that it is not necessary to have top quality players in each and every position. You only have to look at some of the players that have won league Titles for Man Utd over the years (some players multiple titles) .

So for me it's quite easy to have not the greatest player in some positions and still do well in a competition (League, CL etc) .

For me I would go with Matip unless Lovren could prove that he could do 90 mins and isn't rusty from his play off. I can't see how he could be ready on both counts. I agree with Ed tho, Lovren over Matip any day of the week but is Bayern the game to chuck him back in? No idea!

15.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 16:02:48
I don’t have quite the same negative view of Matip as Ed01 and other posters but he is what he is - our 4th choice CB. If any 2 of the 3 ahead of him are fit to play then they should be selected every time.

16.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 16:45:39
Lovren for me, unless he’s unfit in which case Matip is the backup.
I don’t think you would ruin Matip’s confidence because he plays like a man with zero confidence.

17.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 16:56:20
Leave well enouogh alone for mee until Gomez is back, Lovren Matip both not top quality but I feel there is always a major mistake in lovren which he always seems to get punish for but for me they are both not the required quality for a regualar spot.

18.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 17:02:59
Swear I get jittery when Matip is in the side, just always seems to drop a yard or two deeper than everyone else and pushes too far up the pitch then on attacks at times

Weird though as his passing is usually good as is his touch and control but he is just too easily knocked off the ball etc for someone his size

Some great attributes to be fair, but just needs to concentrate more as he can lapse in his positioning at times, but can he achieve more? It looks like it is in him, just more concentration perhaps?

What are your thoughts guys?

19.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 17:29:46
Ok cheers Ed001. Have a good evening mate what ever your doing.

{Ed001's Note - thank you mate you too.}

20.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 18:29:33
Already dreading the heart attacks every time matip goes a wander further upfield, to be fair though the defence have been pretty good this year overall regardless of who has played. I think against Munich its more a case of our attack being on form that could be the difference.

21.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 18:58:51
Lovs all day long, over Matip. IMO, it's not even close. Lovs has shown time and again that he is a very good CB, shutting down some of the game's BEST forwards and they don't get any better than CR7, who he muzzled in the CL final. Also, Lovs shut down near every CF that came his way at the WC so again, there's that.

As for Matip, he is just pure awful. I wouldn't want him anywhere near CR7 in a CL final cos that is just a disaster waiting to happen. I mean, the guy always seems shocked to receive the ball during a game. You can even see how exasperated VVD is when he passes the ball to him cos it looks like VVD is openly baby-sitting Matip through the game. Lovs has his weaknesses (more in his head than anywhere else) BUT Matip is nowhere near as good as he is. When both are on their game, Lovs is borderline world class while Matip is just a good CB.

{Ed025's Note - borderline world class????, you talk a lot of sense mostly redwolf but im afraid with that statement you are miles off mate, hes that bad that he would not get in the everton side..

22.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 19:48:37
Lovren was not solely responsible for Ronaldo. I know he drifts in, but benzema was the striker and taa had Ronaldo.

23.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 20:10:52
A fit Lovren is a really good player. And there in is the problem, Lovren has never played more than 7 consecutive games for Liverpool.

24.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 20:17:13
Lovren world class 🤣, got subbed last year at half time against spurs because he kept coming for the ball and letting the ball go over his head, the same thing happened at utd and Burnley, he’s hardly played this year so hasn’t been there to make a mistake, if Lovren is world class what are Gomez and Virgil? Super human?

{Ed025's Note - they must be lerchy..

25.) 12 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 21:38:42
Matip has been steady in this run of games. I've seen more positives than the usual negatives, but the negatives are clearly there. But Lovren is far better. If he's fit, he plays ahead of Matip, for me.

26.) 13 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 22:46:42
Depends on what we want tomorrow. A decent game and not having a heart attack every two mins, play Lovren. An entertaining game full of mistakes that probably cost us, play Matip!

Matip reminds me a bit of Carlton Palmer, just looks uncomfortable being on a pitch let alone with the ball!

27.) 13 Mar 2019
12 Mar 2019 23:15:28
Matip over Lovren for me, actuallysurprized how many people rate Lovren over Matip.

28.) 13 Mar 2019
13 Mar 2019 08:00:56
Talk about OTT re Matip.
People forget he’s now back up centre back to VVD and Gomez.
According to most on here he’s our 4th choice.
For 4th choice he’s performed very well and made hardly any mistakes.
Clean sheets v Everton and Man Utd away and Bayern at home when forward line was Mis-firing
If Matip has played v Man City would be have made the errors Lovren made?
I like Lovren by the way and aren’t about to slating him too
Ed25 is right when he says we should get behind the players we have
He is wrong however if he reckons he wouldn't get in the Everton side. Keane and zouma do me a favour. Both Error prone, often sluggish and nowhere near as good on the ball as Matip.
Klopp seems to like him and that should be good enough for all of us given Klopp’s track record at signing and developing players.

29.) 13 Mar 2019
13 Mar 2019 19:40:02
Ed25, I said borderline world class cos he has shown it against the best and at the highest level as he did last season. Let me know when any of your lot (tho I love Zouma) is able to shut down CR7 and shut down EVERY striker that came his way at the WC. Then, we can discuss, okay buddy?

Also Lerchy, Lovs had a bad day at Spurs and that is well-known. Did he or did he not came back and shut down Harry Kane at Anfield and at the WC? Nitpicking is a non argument. if you want to make a good argument, consider ALL the factors and not just the ones that suit your rhetoric. It makes you your argument look intellectually dishonest. Peace, my friend.

{Ed025's Note - no need to get your knickers in a twist mate, he is an accident waiting to happen imo as he has proven over the years, i understand the backing up your players thing and thats ok, but he is nearer mr bean than world class my friend..

30.) 13 Mar 2019
13 Mar 2019 23:21:23
I think most of us called this. Matip was crap tonight and scored an own goal. What more evidence do we need?