Whisper it quietly: new Liverpool signing Joel Matip appears to have hit the ground running at Anfield, and according to Reds legend John Aldridge, Jurgen Klopp may have finally found the missing link in LFC's defensive chain.
Previewing the Chelsea-Liverpool game in his column for the Liverpool Echo, Aldo raved:
"At the other end, it's about keeping the big two quiet – Hazard and Costa. They've both played well so far, but so too has the excellent Joel Matip. Hopefully, his form continues because he looks like a gem".
I'm always hesitant to praise players so early in theirs Liverpool career. Like Sadio Mane, Matip looks like a great signing, but for me, the jury remains out until they've proven their consistency over a period 6-9 months.
Obviously, most players are motivated to perform well when they sign for a new club; it's the player version of the performance boost that often occurs when a struggling team appoints a new manager. However, unless the performance improved continues over a consistent period of time, the initial over-performance is ultimately meaningless (IMO).
Mane and Matip are being hyped right now, but what happens if Matip makes a couple of mistakes that lead to goals, and Mane goes 10 games without scoring a goal? I'd rather wait to see a consistent positive impact before jumping on the hype bandwagon.
As for Matip - Liverpool have conceded two goals in his two league starts so far (a decent record), but he hasn't yet faced a striker with the raw power and physicality of Diego Costa, and it'll be interesting to see how he handles the combative Brazilian.
^ Matip: 4-year contract worth £23m.
Previewing the Chelsea-Liverpool game in his column for the Liverpool Echo, Aldo raved:
"At the other end, it's about keeping the big two quiet – Hazard and Costa. They've both played well so far, but so too has the excellent Joel Matip. Hopefully, his form continues because he looks like a gem".
I'm always hesitant to praise players so early in theirs Liverpool career. Like Sadio Mane, Matip looks like a great signing, but for me, the jury remains out until they've proven their consistency over a period 6-9 months.
Obviously, most players are motivated to perform well when they sign for a new club; it's the player version of the performance boost that often occurs when a struggling team appoints a new manager. However, unless the performance improved continues over a consistent period of time, the initial over-performance is ultimately meaningless (IMO).
Mane and Matip are being hyped right now, but what happens if Matip makes a couple of mistakes that lead to goals, and Mane goes 10 games without scoring a goal? I'd rather wait to see a consistent positive impact before jumping on the hype bandwagon.
As for Matip - Liverpool have conceded two goals in his two league starts so far (a decent record), but he hasn't yet faced a striker with the raw power and physicality of Diego Costa, and it'll be interesting to see how he handles the combative Brazilian.
^ Matip: 4-year contract worth £23m.
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