OPINION
That was more like it from Joel Matip. The Liverpool defender, inconsistent and injury prone, produce a fine performance against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
He wasn’t perfect in his team’s topsy-turvy 4-3 win over the Eagles, however, he did showcase why he should remain a member of this Liverpool team moving forward.
He is a reliable pair of hands behind the team’s first choice – when fully fit – centre back duo of Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk. He’s not good enough to be a regular starter, but he is a solid depth player for a team competing across multiple fronts.
Players like that are important, and Matip should be kept around as a result. Obviously the key for him is remaining fully fit, which has been a major problem for him over the course of his Liverpool career.
However, he showed against the Eagles that he is a strong defender, something that cannot always be said for team mate Dejan Lovren. You’d have to think that if a centre back leaves the club in the near future it should be the Croatian not the former Schalke man.
Matip is, simply put, a more reliable option than Lovren. He makes fewer mistakes and is more dominant in the air. He is better on the ball and generally far more composed than the former Southampton star.
It was a hard game for defenders to shine in, due to its goal-mad nature, but Matip did his best to come out of the contest at Anfield with his reputation enhanced.
He looked fairly assured throughout the game, providing a solid barrier in front of Alisson’s goal for much of the game – until its bonkers conclusion.
So while there may be some Liverpool supporters keen to direct Matip towards the Anfield exit door, his performance on Saturday shows that he remains a useful option for Jurgen Klopp.
