da betobet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
da poker： Life seems to be going well at Anfield at the moment but Jurgen Klopp still needs to decide who is best placed to fulfil the role of third-choice centre-back.
On the chalkboard
The Reds have won nine matches from ten in the league and although clean sheets have been somewhat of a rarity this term, with only two in the league, the defence has still been a strong point with only eight goals conceded in the league.
However, with Joel Matip ruled out for up to six weeks the German boss suddenly has a big decision to make, and that is who should partner Virgil van Dijk in what could be a key period of Liverpool’s season.
During this spell the club will play an important Champions League match against Napoli which could decide if they storm to the top of the group or endure a nervy ending to the group stages, whilst also welcoming Manchester City to Anfield, and therefore Klopp has to be confident in his selection choice.
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Currently, there seems to be indecision. Matip was first sidelined after the Sheffield United match a few weeks ago, and after that both Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez have been rotated, with both failing to thoroughly convince in the Cameroonian’s absence.
Trust in the long-term
Though Klopp seems in two minds, the simple solution would be to place his trust in Gomez.
Not only is he younger than Lovren, but he is also a better defender, and his physical attributes alone mean that he is the more useful option and better partner for van Dijk.
The Croatian was exposed in that department against Tottenham on Sunday. A simple long ball by Paulo Gazzaniga was misjudged by the defender and Heung-Min Son was able to round the keeper, with Lovren and the Reds only escaping because his shot hit the bar.
The 22-year-old, by contrast, has the pace to deal with most opposition players, and if he can rediscover the form he showed before the severe injury he suffered last year then he could even rival Matip in an audition for the role of van Dijk’s sidekick.
Gareth Southgate’s remark that he is an England star of the future attests to the enormity of his potential, and suggests that Lovren isn’t the answer for Klopp – not now and certainly not in the future.
As a result, the German should begin to bed-in Gomez once again and restore the confidence he may have lost, as that will likely get him playing to his highest level once again.