Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has suggested that his side would have been successful last season if Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were fully fit.
So much has been made of Virgil van Dijk’s return after a lengthy lay-off last season.
The Dutchman coming back has certainly helped Liverpool’s back line, but Matip and Gomez are back too.
Gomez missed most of last season with a major injury too, whilst Matip had fairly regularly problems.
That left Liverpool woefully short at the back, but Klopp has great options now.
Van Dijk and Matip are the main two centre backs, but Gomez, Nat Phillips and summer signing Ibrahima Konate are available too.
Klopp praises Liverpool duo Matip and Gomez
Now, Liverpool boss Klopp has told the Liverpool Echo that he thinks both Gomez and Matip are ‘top class’.
Klopp moved to praise both players rather than just focus on teammate Van Dijk all the time.
The German even claimed that Liverpool’s season last term – finishing third, 17 points behind Manchester City – would have been different with Matip and Gomez playing.
“I can talk about Mo Salah the whole time and Virgil but football is not individual players,” said Klopp. “If we played whole season with Gomez and Matip it would have been different for us, I promise you. They are top class too. It hurt us seeing Van Dijk on crutches but they were too,” he added.
Matip doesn’t get the plaudits of Van Dijk, but he has been outstanding this season.
The Cameroonian has seen Konate come in and Gomez return, meaning his place in the team was in doubt.
Matip has responded brilliantly, arguably being even better than Van Dijk this season.
That spot is now Matip’s to lose, and it will take a lot for him to drop out of the Liverpool side.
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