How Joel Matip is helping Liverpool overcome their frailties in defence http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features...ng-liverpool-overcome-their-frailties-defence Very impressed so far.
Stat shows how much Liverpool rely on Joel Matip after Bournemouth defeat http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/04/stat-...-joel-matip-after-bournemouth-defeat-6301201/
Joel Matip won’t be joining Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations after talks http://www.thisisanfield.com/2016/12/joel-matip-wont-joining-cameroon-africa-cup-nations-talks/
Jürgen Klopp's update on Joel Matip http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/250776-jurgen-klopp-s-update-on-joel-matip
Last season Sakho. Matip now. Which key defender will be mysteriously and erroneously suspended/withheld in 2018? I'm betting Lovren.
An absolute, farcical, bureaucratic load of bullshit if I've ever seen one. FIFA have found new and creative ways for me to hate them in the last 10 years.
I don't get why we don't play him. He doesn't want to play for Cameroon, they can't make him. End of story.
I actually think this is exactly the case. Some grease needs to be applied before the bureaucratic wheels will start to turn. Just the way it works.
Matip didn't put it in writing apparently, which is somewhat in excusable as its been talked about as a potential issue for months.
That definitely stupid - but what is equally stupid is that Cameroon didn't select him in the squad either. Not sure how they can prevent him from playing for his club when they didn't call him up.
National teams and FIFA are never going to be lenient on players refusing call ups so they can stay and play with their clubs, especially a big club. Once they do, it will be the start of the slow death of international football and their cash cow. As soon as the Cameroon coach started making noises in the fall about expecting him to play in the AFCON, someone in the LFC/Matip camps should have been on the phone to lawyers to make sure they had every in order. The requirement for written notification was in the press back in October or November. This shouldn't be a surprise. The tough spot for LFC is they can't be seen as forcing the issue and not allowing Matip to be released. He has to make that decision, but they could have at least protected themselves once he made that decision to make sure the paperwork was in order.
If true about the writing thing, everyone at LFC needs to take a class called "Don't Be A F ucking Moron 101." Taught by Sakho. Sponsored by diet pills.
matip decided to retire before he joined us so any letter should have been taken care of several years ago.
Bournemouth, Burnley and Swansea. What do they all have in common besides the loss? No Matip. Get him back in the lineup, take out our recent frustrating results on Chelsea and get back in this fight for a top 4 spot.
I was thinking about our recent defensive/midfield issues and how losing Hendo was basically an open invitation to breeze through the midfield as there aren't any true ballwinners. Was thinking about who on our roster Klopp could use to shore up the midfield who may have some experience as a defensive midfielder. Turns out, according to transfermarkt, Matip has played DM 36 times in the bundesliga between the 09/10 and 13/14 seasons. He has 5 goals and 2 assists in those matches. Granted, I have never watched him play in that position and don't know whether he would be comfortable there if he prefers CB, but it's an idea they could try instead of playing Can there when Hendo is out. Especially since Klopp likes to play guys out of position.
not a bad idea at all.not only can he win the ball, his passing is good for a CB. Can is so damned frustrating. he has a lot of the tools needed, and at time looks excellent, but doesn't stamp himself on games and can be a liability too often. hopefully he'll develop (fast) but if not we need to do better.