The Balotelli thing sounds like bollocks to me.
Joel Matip
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I loved Camara. He was our Paolo Wanchope, only better and more like-able.
Indeed, it sounds more like a Rodgers decision than a committee decision to me.
How about the size of our players' skulls?
They are a thick lot. Must be explainable by cranium size, no?
Moron - master phrenologist.
Momo was indeed boss.
Bossing Ballack. Slapping costa. A first touch putting the ball in the air.
Bossing Ballack. Slapping costa. A first touch putting the ball in the air.
Jürgen Klopp has revealed why a move for Joel Matip was already in his thinking long before Liverpool swooped to reach an agreement for the defender to join the club this summer.
It was confirmed on Monday that the Cameroon international will make a switch to the Reds after the conclusion of his current deal with Bundesliga side Schalke.
The 24-year-old has built up a wealth of experience since his senior debut in 2009 and represented his country at each of the past two World Cups.
Klopp observed Matip closely while in charge of Borussia Dortmund and was so impressed by the performances he witnessed, the German shortlisted him as a potential recruit for his next team during a sabbatical from the game before taking charge at Anfield.
The manager told Liverpoolfc.com: “I am very happy. Everybody who knows him would have been interested. Maybe he’s not the most famous player in England, but he’s 24 and has played about 200 Bundesliga games for Schalke.
“He is a top-class centre-half, very young but experienced. You don’t have that too often. To be honest, when I had my break I thought for the next club, I should think about Joel, if there was a need.
“He never played for my team, he did the extreme opposite – he played for their biggest opponent! Maybe that says a lot about his quality. Even when he played for the team you cannot love as Dortmund manager, you see his quality. Then that’s real quality.
“The chance was there and Joel wanted to do something different. He is and was really close to his club; it’s normal, he played there since he was a youth player. I think there was no chance for another Bundesliga club in this moment, but Liverpool was the right name and the right club.
“Maybe it was a little advantage that I know him and he knows me. He’s still a young player and for a young player, it could help to make the decision when there’s a manager from your home country.
“It’s a good situation, hopefully a win-win. In this moment, it looks like this. Now he has to stay healthy and after the summer break we can start working together.”
Klopp is confident Matip’s attributes are well-suited to the demands of the Barclays Premier League, and with room for further improvement for a player who has amassed 27 caps at international level.
He added: “He’s a real centre-half. He is physically strong, a really tall boy – taller than me! It doesn’t happen too often that I have to [looks upwards].
“He’s quick, he’s flexible in his movements and good in technical things. He has played in different systems, with four or three defenders. He scores goals, four or five per season minimum. He is good in the one-on-one and quick. It’s a package.
“He has to learn, that’s normal, but he has learned a lot in the last few years and made big steps in his development. For us, it was a chance. You can’t always make transfers only to solve a problem.
“I know people are saying our defence isn’t that good. We have to defend better as a team, first of all. It’s not for solving a problem – it’s a transfer with a really good perspective for the future, a long-term thing. But he can help immediately and that’s really good for us.”
It was confirmed on Monday that the Cameroon international will make a switch to the Reds after the conclusion of his current deal with Bundesliga side Schalke.
The 24-year-old has built up a wealth of experience since his senior debut in 2009 and represented his country at each of the past two World Cups.
Klopp observed Matip closely while in charge of Borussia Dortmund and was so impressed by the performances he witnessed, the German shortlisted him as a potential recruit for his next team during a sabbatical from the game before taking charge at Anfield.
The manager told Liverpoolfc.com: “I am very happy. Everybody who knows him would have been interested. Maybe he’s not the most famous player in England, but he’s 24 and has played about 200 Bundesliga games for Schalke.
“He is a top-class centre-half, very young but experienced. You don’t have that too often. To be honest, when I had my break I thought for the next club, I should think about Joel, if there was a need.
“He never played for my team, he did the extreme opposite – he played for their biggest opponent! Maybe that says a lot about his quality. Even when he played for the team you cannot love as Dortmund manager, you see his quality. Then that’s real quality.
“The chance was there and Joel wanted to do something different. He is and was really close to his club; it’s normal, he played there since he was a youth player. I think there was no chance for another Bundesliga club in this moment, but Liverpool was the right name and the right club.
“Maybe it was a little advantage that I know him and he knows me. He’s still a young player and for a young player, it could help to make the decision when there’s a manager from your home country.
“It’s a good situation, hopefully a win-win. In this moment, it looks like this. Now he has to stay healthy and after the summer break we can start working together.”
Klopp is confident Matip’s attributes are well-suited to the demands of the Barclays Premier League, and with room for further improvement for a player who has amassed 27 caps at international level.
He added: “He’s a real centre-half. He is physically strong, a really tall boy – taller than me! It doesn’t happen too often that I have to [looks upwards].
“He’s quick, he’s flexible in his movements and good in technical things. He has played in different systems, with four or three defenders. He scores goals, four or five per season minimum. He is good in the one-on-one and quick. It’s a package.
“He has to learn, that’s normal, but he has learned a lot in the last few years and made big steps in his development. For us, it was a chance. You can’t always make transfers only to solve a problem.
“I know people are saying our defence isn’t that good. We have to defend better as a team, first of all. It’s not for solving a problem – it’s a transfer with a really good perspective for the future, a long-term thing. But he can help immediately and that’s really good for us.”
What decision?
That would have worked if I'd said 'I can feel them'.
Yea, I reckon he is a replacement for one of our current centre halves rather than a partner for them.
I take it you jest. So yes, he's the first in ages not to be. They've made a point of stressing to the media that he was signed 'independently' of the committee. Long may it continue.
Don't think you need to look at any part of their bodies to decide that - the league table and our up/down performances demonstrate that they are in every way fucking thick - and I mean all of them.
I notice someone has posted a thread comparing Clyne to Finnan - what the fuck ? - Finnan was brilliant and engaged his brain proper when in an attacking position. Clyne - yes good defensively but his entire "body" language suggests he has not got a fucking clue what to do when in the opposition half.
Jurgen Klopp confident signing Joel Matip will save Liverpool millions
James Pearce
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool have saved themselves millions of pounds by snapping up Joel Matip on a free transfer.
The Cameroon centre-back has agreed to join the Reds when his contract with Schalke expires this summer.
Klopp, who was the driving force behind bringing Matip to Anfield, says Liverpool beat off some serious competition to secure his signature.
And the Reds boss is convinced the deal represents great business for a combative defender who boasts more than six years of Bundesliga experience.
“It was an easy choice,” Klopp said. “He's 24, he's played around 200 Bundesliga games, he's played Champions League, played Europa League and was a German Cup winner in 2011.
“He wanted a new challenge and he's made big steps in his development in the last few years.
“He's become a really experienced centre-half – tall at 1.98m, but flexible and quick. A perfect header of the ball, he scores four or five goals a season, and is good in the build-up.
“I know in England it is really difficult to sign a player without paying a transfer fee but I thought it cannot be a reason not to take him just because you cannot put a number behind his name.
“If you asked in Germany what other clubs would have paid for him had he still been under contract, you can just take that number.
“It's clear there were a lot of other clubs interested. In Germany, for a player of his quality, who is out of contract, there is a lot of competition.
“Maybe Schalke aren't too famous in England but in Germany they're a big club who have played the last four or five years in the Champions League. They made him a big offer to stay, they wanted to keep him.
“There are probably only three or four clubs in Germany who could get a player like Matip when he is at Schalke – Dortmund, and that's not possible, Bayern, maybe Leverkusen and maybe Wolfsburg. Finish.
“The rest, no chance. Then you have to think about other countries and that is what he wanted to do, and we moved early enough. You should watch him on YouTube.”
Asked if Matip was his choice rather than a name put forward by other members of the transfer committee, Klopp's response was an emphatic: “Yes.”
Having admired him when the defender played for Borussia Dortmund's arch rivals Schalke, the Reds boss believes he's perfectly equipped to deal with the demands of Premier League football.
“He's a high quality centre-half,” Klopp added.
“You cannot play in a club like Schalke for six years, always in the starting line-up, without having big quality.
“If it was one, two or three years ago when he was under contract he would not have been ready for a change but I knew about his thoughts.
“I knew he was thinking about doing something else because he had been with Schalke since the youth team in 2000 - a long time and he wanted to do something completely different.
“This was our chance, but for sure there were a lot of clubs interested in him. It's good because he knows that I know him, and it is not a coincidence or something else.
“He won't be coming here having to show the manager special things, but of course he has to work hard and improve. He can be a really good centre-half in the Premier League.”
Germany-born Matip, who has 27 caps for Cameroon, is Klopp's second signing following the £5.1million January deal for midfielder Marko Grujic, who was loaned back to Red Star Belgrade until May.
There will be more to follow ahead of next season but Klopp doesn't envisage a summer as busy as 2015 when Liverpool made seven new signings.
"I don't have a number in mind," he added.
"We have to make solutions and we will make solutions. Also maybe players will make solutions and say they do not want to be here any more, so you have to be prepared.
"But seven really sounds a lot. We have enough strikers – five with Roberto (Firmino) – but not too many wingers, just a few young ones with great potential.
"We have to decide early and at the right moment on transfers, but it is about a squad where you can play different systems and react to different situations.
"It always changes. We went into this season with five centre-halves if you think of Joe (Gomez) and then at one stage we seemed to only have one and a half!
"It was like who can we play? So you prepare as much as possible and look for the highest quality you can get."
James Pearce
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool have saved themselves millions of pounds by snapping up Joel Matip on a free transfer.
The Cameroon centre-back has agreed to join the Reds when his contract with Schalke expires this summer.
Klopp, who was the driving force behind bringing Matip to Anfield, says Liverpool beat off some serious competition to secure his signature.
And the Reds boss is convinced the deal represents great business for a combative defender who boasts more than six years of Bundesliga experience.
“It was an easy choice,” Klopp said. “He's 24, he's played around 200 Bundesliga games, he's played Champions League, played Europa League and was a German Cup winner in 2011.
“He wanted a new challenge and he's made big steps in his development in the last few years.
“He's become a really experienced centre-half – tall at 1.98m, but flexible and quick. A perfect header of the ball, he scores four or five goals a season, and is good in the build-up.
“I know in England it is really difficult to sign a player without paying a transfer fee but I thought it cannot be a reason not to take him just because you cannot put a number behind his name.
“If you asked in Germany what other clubs would have paid for him had he still been under contract, you can just take that number.
“It's clear there were a lot of other clubs interested. In Germany, for a player of his quality, who is out of contract, there is a lot of competition.
“Maybe Schalke aren't too famous in England but in Germany they're a big club who have played the last four or five years in the Champions League. They made him a big offer to stay, they wanted to keep him.
“There are probably only three or four clubs in Germany who could get a player like Matip when he is at Schalke – Dortmund, and that's not possible, Bayern, maybe Leverkusen and maybe Wolfsburg. Finish.
“The rest, no chance. Then you have to think about other countries and that is what he wanted to do, and we moved early enough. You should watch him on YouTube.”
Asked if Matip was his choice rather than a name put forward by other members of the transfer committee, Klopp's response was an emphatic: “Yes.”
Having admired him when the defender played for Borussia Dortmund's arch rivals Schalke, the Reds boss believes he's perfectly equipped to deal with the demands of Premier League football.
“He's a high quality centre-half,” Klopp added.
“You cannot play in a club like Schalke for six years, always in the starting line-up, without having big quality.
“If it was one, two or three years ago when he was under contract he would not have been ready for a change but I knew about his thoughts.
“I knew he was thinking about doing something else because he had been with Schalke since the youth team in 2000 - a long time and he wanted to do something completely different.
“This was our chance, but for sure there were a lot of clubs interested in him. It's good because he knows that I know him, and it is not a coincidence or something else.
“He won't be coming here having to show the manager special things, but of course he has to work hard and improve. He can be a really good centre-half in the Premier League.”
Germany-born Matip, who has 27 caps for Cameroon, is Klopp's second signing following the £5.1million January deal for midfielder Marko Grujic, who was loaned back to Red Star Belgrade until May.
There will be more to follow ahead of next season but Klopp doesn't envisage a summer as busy as 2015 when Liverpool made seven new signings.
"I don't have a number in mind," he added.
"We have to make solutions and we will make solutions. Also maybe players will make solutions and say they do not want to be here any more, so you have to be prepared.
"But seven really sounds a lot. We have enough strikers – five with Roberto (Firmino) – but not too many wingers, just a few young ones with great potential.
"We have to decide early and at the right moment on transfers, but it is about a squad where you can play different systems and react to different situations.
"It always changes. We went into this season with five centre-halves if you think of Joe (Gomez) and then at one stage we seemed to only have one and a half!
"It was like who can we play? So you prepare as much as possible and look for the highest quality you can get."
Brilliant. We'd have a crowd on here pleading for us to buy him if that was now someone else (including me) ! I always remember his last gasp tackles - his legs are so damn long !
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That's an interesting question and I thought about it a bit. Klopp says not many clubs in Germany could afford to sign a player like Matip and he wouldn't want to move to one of Schalke's rivals anyway.
As for the competition from outside Germany it probably has to do something with agents - we all know how the market is screwed up by a few celebrity agents like Jorge Mendes or Mino Raiola, who use their clout to artificially inflate the value of their clients, while other equally good or better players fly under the radar. The best example I can give is Kompany vs Mangala – one cost Man City €8.5M from Hamburg and became their leader and captain, the other was represented by Jorge Mendes, cost City around 40M and was nowhere near as good. I hope Matip is our Kompany.
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Shawcross : Oh Matip you are so handsome, so elegant on the ball, and such a lovely player.
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Noncence.
Never mind "what the fuck" I'm watching you Moron you cheeky cunt
Nice Froggy, nice.
...what is this? You think he will be a success...or is this a bad thing...?
He was indeed the boss of anti-football.
The barca away games was his best game and I don't think he had the ball once.
Awful to see LFC play like that though.
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