There are several factors contributing to Liverpool’s flakiness at the back but only one, gangly, solution.
Let us start with the problems. Firstly a manager, charming and good-humoured and all that he is, who takes the Brazil 1982 approach to the game: no matter what you score we will endeavour to score more.
John Giles has described Jurgen Klopp as a one-trick pony and the collapse against Bournemouth last weekend will have done little to convince the Leeds and Ireland legend otherwise.
Two goals to the good with 25 minutes to play after Emre Can’s humdinger, the Reds should have closed up shop and protected their lead. Instead the gung-ho Merseysiders gave diminutive Scottish substitute Ryan Fraser the space and opportunities to orchestrate a magnificent 4-3 win.
Could Klopp not have reined in his attacking instincts to secure the win? Seemingly not. It is go hard or go home with Jurgen.
A ballsy approach when you consider some of the defensive tools he has to work with, which brings us to defensive liability number two.
This handsome son of a gun.
It may be early days in Loris Karius’ Liverpool career but thus far he has looked about as convincing as Danny Dyer’s Hamlet. Not for the first time the handsome German had questions to answer about a couple of the shots that got past him last Sunday.
Throw in the fact he looks nervous as a rescue dog under crosses and has the ability to take a goal-kick like the beauty below and it is no surprise he has drawn the opprobrium of Messrs Carragher and Neville of late.
Thirdly there is Dejan Lovren. The Dr Jeckyll and Mr Liability of defending. When he is good the Croatian is very, very good, but when he is bad he makes the rest of us wonder how we never made it as professional footballers.
Last week in Bournemouth was an example of the latter. Partnered with midfielder Lucas Leiva in the centre of defence, Lovren looked once more wholly incapable of leading a defence and has to take his fair share of the blame for the Cherries’ renaissance.
Contrast this to the assured performances Lovren consistently puts in when partnered with Joel Matip, the gangly solution mentioned earlier.
There was much gnashing of teeth when Philippe Coutinho was carted off with ankle ligament damage against Sunderland, but you could argue the Cameroonian defender is a more important player to a Liverpool team that is heavy on attacking power but light on defensive reliability.
“By and large they are solid at the back but they are only solid at the back when Joel Matip plays,” SportsJOE football writer Tony Barrett said on Football Friday Live.
“A lot of people talking about the absence of Philippe Coutinho and how that would hurt them but they have scored seven goals in 2 1/2 games without him but without Matip they concede four at Bournemouth. That is where the weakness lies, Liverpool without Matip are a different side.”
Jamie Carragher, a man who knows a thing or two about leading the Liverpool defence, concurs with Barrett.
“A sign of a good player is how he can help lift the performances of those around him. Dejan Lovren has been more in control with a settled partner but he reverted to the form he showed after his arrival from Southampton without Matip to guide him. That was worrying,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column.
“He might be understated and not a player who commands headlines but he knows how to defend. Liverpool need him.”
Matip was missing at the Vitality last Sunday with an ankle injury of his own and a second half clusterfuck ensued.
Which explains why Liverpool fans reacted with such joy when it was announced Matip would not be competing at next month’s African Cup of Nations with Cameroon.
The 25-year-old, who joined from Schalke during the summer, will not head to Gabon and leave the Reds defence in the incapable hands and feet of Karius and Lovren. He will stay and help counterract the excessive attacking instincts of his manager. He does this, not because of security fears or a falling out with his international manager, Alexandre Belinga.
He is remaining with Liverpool because it is the “right decision”.
“It’s not an easy decision but I want to concentrate on Liverpool. I want to be [here],” he told Liverpoolfc.com. “I want to focus on Liverpool and that’s what I had to decide. I think I took the right decision.”
That is why Liverpool fans love Matip. He puts the club first and he looks to make the right decision every time. That may not be flashy and easily noticed, like a three-goal turnaround or a goal-kick put out for a corner, but it is exactly what Liverpool need.
