January 2021

[Steveo]

Yes, but losing them for the entire season is pretty rare.

It isn’t that rare - it isn’t common granted but it does happen and absolutely does happen.

Many things are rare in football - beating Barca 4:0 at home with a depleted side is rare too..

[Balinkay]

@Kev I like how you say "the fact is" and then you follow it up with "may".

But jokes aside I agree it wouldn't have been a bad idea to sign another CB in the summer. Just don't think it's an obviously insane decision as it would have been not to buy one now.

[Balinkay]

It isn’t that rare - it isn’t common granted but it does happen and absolutely does happen.

Many things are rare in football - beating Barca 4:0 at home with a depleted side is rare too..

I dunno, think it's quite rare. I mean meteorites fall too from time to time. Even big ones. But I doubt you wanted us to build a second Anfield just in case the first one got destroyed?

Tell you what - there's 20 teams in the PL. Why don't you look over the past 20 seasons - that's 400 team seasons. How often did it happen that a team lost its starting two CBs for more than 30 games each? I'd wager it's not going to be a large number.

[Steveo]

Having 4 options for a position out at a time IS rare, whatever the injury record. Please don't misrepresent what I said.

How am I misrepresenting what you said. You talk about Matip as though he can be counted as a reliable option. Complete and utter baloney. He is almost always unavailable when needed - like Ox or Keita. And citing Fabinho is disingenuous he is a midfielder playing out of position That is WHY he is getting strains!!!

Surely you see the link between the 2 long term CB injuries and the sudden and repeat strains both Fabinho and Hendo have picked up playing out of position -

[LEGS]

Yep, Ornstein saying it's in advanced stages, but not done.

We need to free up a slot - so it has to be "someone" and someone foreign I think to tally with the registration rules, though it will depend on how we formulate our 2 different squads (for Premier League and Champion's League) - I had thought it would have been Adrian going out, but here we are.

Kabak is under 21 so dont think he counts as foreign for some crazy reason.

[Kev0909]

So what?? if that happened to chelsea they'd have Zouma and Christensen still not to mention Azpilicueta can play CB quite well

Same with Utd and many others..... may be worse off, but they wouldn't be as worse off as us

[Steveo]

I dunno, think it's quite rare. I mean meteorites fall too from time to time. Even big ones. But I doubt you wanted us to build a second Anfield just in case the first one got destroyed?

Tell you what - there's 20 teams in the PL. Why don't you look over the past 20 seasons - that's 400 team seasons. How often did it happen that a team lost its starting two CBs for more than 30 games each? I'd wager it's not going to be a large number.

No - I suggest you do it and realise how much more often it happens than you or Sid believe.

And while you are at it - let’s accept that 2.5 senior CB’s ( Matip ain’t even a .5 ) is enough to defend a title.

[Insidious]

How am I misrepresenting what you said. You talk about Matip as though he can be counted as a reliable option.

Watch.

What you are suggesting is that losing 2 CB’s at the same time is incredibly rare

in response to me mentioning 4 options at centre-back, not two. I did say "options" - I didn't mention his injury record.

Don't shift goal-posts, don't edit your posts every two seconds, don't condescend with all the "bollocks" and "I've got news for you" - shit's weak and I'd like to think you're bigger than that.

[Balinkay]

No - I suggest you do it and realise how much more often it happens than you or Sid believe.

And while you are at it - let’s accept that 2.5 senior CB’s ( Matip ain’t even a .5 ) is enough to defend a title.

Yeah... why does that answer not surprise me. I really can't help you Steveo, understanding simple footballing truths is something you either have or you don't.

Technically two CBs are enough to defend a title. Or rather two players playing in those positions. We gambled that an injury crisis like this wouldn't hit us. We lost. I guess the gamble was made more appealing by the COVID situation but that doesn't change the outcome.

Also please stop misrepresenting what I've said. I've said I'd have preferred a CB in the summer as I'm quite aware how injury prone Matip is. My point is that it was a gamble I can understand to a degree but would have nonetheless preferred not to make in the club's shoes. As usual, I don't think we particularly disagree.

[Steveo]

Watch.



in response to me mentioning 4 options at centre-back, not two. I did say "options" - I didn't mention his injury record.

Don't shift goal-posts, don't edit your posts every two seconds, don't condescend with all the "bollocks" and "I've got news for you" - shit's weak and I'd like to think you're bigger than that.

No Sid.

Go to a fucking game - stop celebrating fucking accounts and start being real. or accept when you get called out. Take it like a man and stop crying when someone picks it out.

We don’t have 4 Options. As I have stated Matip is not a full iotipn if he is never Fit. Is his unavailability a new thing? Nope I should not need to state the bleedin obvious either.

Matip @ 1 game in 3 at best.

Fabinho is a midfielder - we needed him IN THE MIDDLE. He can play at the back BUT that doesn’t make him a Senior CB!!

It is fucking simple