Craig Burley says this Liverpool duo wouldn’t start for either Newcastle or Arsenal. They are Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate as they have both become ‘inconsistent’ for Liverpool. The former Scotland international feels that if a team like Newcastle United could swap their centre-back pairing for Liverpool’s duo, then they wouldn’t.
However, Eddie Howe’s main guy at the back is Sven Botman. He has made an outstanding start to life in the Premier League. He has also helped Newcastle to the Champions League victory in his first season.
In years gone by, Joel Matip has been a key player for Liverpool, but his form has dropped off, whilst Ibrahima Konate just can’t stay out of the treatment room. Either way, Craig Burley feels that the full back duo are a problem at the back and they don’t help Virgil van Dijk’s cause, as he told ESPN. The attack hasn’t been an issue for Liverpool this season, but with the defence still leaking the goals, then it’s obvious that they’ll have to fix the defence a lot.
Liverpool duo would’ve start:
“Konate and Matip, at times, particularly Matip, who has been there longer, have had some really good spells,” said Burley.
“But I think they are now both inconsistent in their decisions. If you look at van Dijk’s partner and you look at the other big challengers, I don’t think Konate or Matip get into any of those other teams at centre-back.
“Maybe you can take Tottenham out of the occasion with van de Ven and Romero. But if you look at Arsenal, you aren’t changing Matip and Konate for Gabriel or Saliba. You’re not changing at Man City.
“You look at Botman, who is out injured at Newcastle. Rock solid at centre-back.”
That’s why he suggested that with Matip and Konate, this Liverpool duo wouldn’t start against either Arsenal or Newcastle.
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