LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Arne Slot head coach of Liverpool with Joe Gomez of Liverpool at the end of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield on December 01, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Arne Slot head coach of Liverpool with Joe Gomez of Liverpool at the end of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield on December 01, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Joe Gomez was brilliant against Man City. And when he came on at half-time against Brighton a few weeks ago, he was exactly the same.
Joe’s a really talented footballer, he’s just been unfortunate to have been hampered by injuries. When he’s playing for Liverpool and won his place, he’s got injured in the past. It’s really sad the way it has happened.
But he never lets us down. He is such a key member of the squad. He doesn’t grumble, he doesn’t moan. He doesn’t shout his mouth off in the media or show his frustration. He just gets on with it. He’s probably the best pro at the club.
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It’s funny how things worked out in the summer. He could have easily left the club and gone to Newcastle United, with Anthony Gordon coming the other way.
We didn’t really do any business in the summer in terms of bringing in players, only Federico Chiesa, but that’s turned out to be really good business. The best bit of business is the deal that actually did not go through.
It certainly turned out to be, with Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo both flying and Joe showing up again for the club too.
Joe can play anywhere across the back, and has done holding midfield in the past too. He’s been absolutely brilliant. As a squad player, defensively, there is hardly anyone better in the league.
It’s just as well too, because losing Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley to injury is a huge blow. But we showed against Man City that we have the team and squad to cope.
You don’t want to keep on losing players. At the moment, we’re six players down. We’ve welcomed back Harvey Elliott and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but we’re still without Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Chiesa and Kostas Tsimikas.
You don’t want anymore. If they lose anymore, then it becomes a crisis and that can hamper you. But they’re coping with it so well at the moment.
Gakpo delivers again
Gakpo has been brilliant this season. He’s back in his favoured position, out on the left, and he’s getting the goals to show for it.
That’s six in seven now, I’d be more than happy with that as a centre-forward!
Praise has to go to Arne Slot and his jiggery-pokery for getting him back out there, and for also allowing Diaz to come in the middle. With Jota out, he’s done a really good job there when turned to.
He’s not a centre-forward but he gives you something. He asks different questions of defenders.
The manager’s stumbled upon another way to expose teams by playing him there and doing what he’s doing down the middle.
No Mo concerns
I’m still not concerned about Mohamed Salah. He’s spoken publicly again, adding to the uncertainty, but we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.
Fans are frustrated, they want him to stay. Mo Salah wants to stay. His team-mates and manager want him to stay.
You’ve just got to wait and hope the owners make a statement and tie him down, whether it’s the timing or finances that need to be resolved.
There’s nothing we can do but wait. It’s strange that it has got to this point but there is nothing you can do until the owners sort it out.