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"Like a new signing" – Joe Gomez

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rurikbird

Part of the Furniture
Honorary Member

No wonder Joe Gomez has a spring in his step.
Successive Premier League starts for Liverpool have been swiftly followed by the honour of being appointed England Under-21s captain.

It’s been a long road back for the 20-year-old defender after his world was rocked by two devastating injury setbacks. But all that hard graft has paid off.
The experiences of a rollercoaster start to his professional career has given him a new-found appreciation of the good times.
“Before, when I was out there doing it, I didn’t think about it so much,” Gomez told the ECHO.
“But when you get a bad injury and it’s taken away, you really realise what you had.
“When you’re out injured, you have a lot of time to think. There was a lot of time when I was sat there reminiscing.
“Those memories gave me the hunger and the desire to get back. That’s what really drove me.
“Not just to come back last season, but also to work through the off season this summer to ensure I could really push on. I always knew there would be a period of trying to get back to where I was before the injuries.”

Gomez made an instant impact for the Reds following his move from Charlton Athletic for an initial fee of £3.5million two years ago. Brendan Rodgers was so impressed that he put him straight in the side at left-back.
However, the youngster's progress was cruelly halted in October 2015 - just days after Jurgen Klopp had been named as Rodgers' successor - when he tore the ACL in his right knee while on England Under-21s duty.
On the cusp of a comeback in July 2016, he damaged his Achilles and was sidelined for another four months.
It was last November when he was finally given the green light to return to action and after two months with Liverpool Under-23s, he got his chance in the FA Cup tie against Plymouth.
Humble and dedicated to his profession, the applause from his team-mates when he returned to full training at Melwood was testament to how highly he's regarded by his peers both as a player and as a person.
The stage was set for Gomez to kick on in the second half of last season but he couldn't force his way into Klopp's Premier League plans. He was still striving to rediscover the sharpness he had prior to his long absence.
"In myself I felt good but sometimes a manager knows best," he said.
"I knew that the cup games were probably my best chance of playing and we got knocked out early in the FA Cup.

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Joe Gomez of Liverpool is shows a yellow card by match referee, Graham Scott during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round Replay (Image: 2017 Getty Images)
"It was tough at the time but this is a massive club and there’s bound to be a lot of competition for players. There's world class talent here so that doesn’t make it easy to get in the side.
"During that time I just had to keep training and learning. It was still a valuable time as in training I learned about the style and the type of play the manager wants."
Gomez gave up the opportunity to go to the European Under-21 Championships in Poland this summer in order to focus on getting a full pre-season under his belt for his club.
He also took on board Klopp's advice to lay off the weights. The manager felt the defender had bulked up too much during his time on the sidelines and that was hampering his mobility.
"When you’re in rehab, you want to do everything you can," Gomez said.
"All you can do really is try to strengthen your body. You're worried, it’s in the back of your mind ‘I don’t want this to happen again’.
"I wanted to make myself as strong as possible in order to avoid any future injuries. I didn’t want to waste my time sulking and feeling sorry for myself.

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Joe Gomez gets between Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can (Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"But the manager preferred that I stopped doing the upper body stuff. He’s the one who watches us train and analyses us. The bulkier you are, you can be more powerful but agility wise it can have an impact.
"There is only so much power and strength you need. The main thing is to be mobile, especially you're playing at full-back. It's more important to be able to get up and down.
"It was a positive that I was able to adapt. This pre-season felt like a fresh start for me."
Earlier this summer there was talk of Gomez going out on loan with Premier League new boys Brighton keen to secure his services.
But he wanted to prove to Klopp that he could have a role to play for the Reds this season and he achieved that emphatically.
Gomez, who is equally at home at full-back or centre-back, came off the bench at Watford on the opening weekend.
When he was named in the line up to face Crystal Palace, it was the first time he had started a Premier League match since the trip to Old Trafford in September 2015.
"Natually, a loan was going to be an option this summer," he said.
"Everyone saw that I didn’t get many games last season but I said in pre-season I wanted to fight.
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"There's nothing I'd rather do more than play for Liverpool. I'd pick this option all day. You have to hope you get that opportunity.
"When the manager said he wanted me to stick around and challenge that was great to hear because it’s what I wanted too."
With Nathaniel Clyne sidelined, teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold started at right-back for the Champions League play-off battles with Hoffenheim but Gomez has got the nod for the past two league matches.
"Trent is a top player and has done so well," he added.
"I think we’re different in our ways but we’ll keep pushing each other and trying to bring out the best in each other. The main thing is that the team gets the results we need."

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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez of Liverpool during a training session at Melwood Training Ground on April 29, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Having shone against Palace, Gomez delivered another outstanding performance in last weekend's 4-0 rout of Arsenal.
Rock solid defensively, he also made a big contribution going forward - providing the cross for Roberto Firmino to open the scoring. Gomez is well and truly back.
"It was just great to be part of such a good team performance," he said.
"The main thing was the win and it was a massive win for us coming off the back of the great result against Hoffenheim.
"Everyone knows the stature of Arsenal. They’re a top club with a lot of quality in their team so to beat them like that was big for us.
"You want to get off to a good start and we’ve done that. We've qualified for the Champions League and seven points from three games is positive but we need to keep it going.
"Hopefully everyone comes back fit and healthy after the internationals and we maintain that momentum.
"Everyone knows what I’ve been through with the injuries. The main thing for me is putting all that behind me.
"It’s time for me to let all that go and just enjoy playing my football."

We often say this ironically, but Gomez is indeed very much like a new signing. What are your impressions so far? Whenever he played CB in pre-season and in cup games last season I wasn't too convinced, but he always looks good at FB – maybe at this stage that's just his best position. In time, as they learn to read the game better and bulk up, some defenders successfully transition from FB to CB: Sergio Ramos, Jerome Boateng, Howedes, Carra, Maldini etc.

Obviously his assist for Firmino's goal vs Arsenal is a highlight and I especially liked that it was a left-footed cross – he seems pretty ambidextrous, so will probably be just as good on the left (where he first broke through under Rodgers, of course). Klopp seems a big fan and maybe the competition between Trent and Gomez (and Moreno/Robertson on the other side) can push them all to a completely new level (and if not, there is always Milner and Clyne to steady the ship). For the first time in years, we seem to have some real talent, energy and competition on the flanks of the defense.
 
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He, like Danny Rose, has been thinking a lot whilst injured. Although one used google a lot to assist him.
 
It depends if you care more about a stupid cliched joke or a really good player. If it's the latter, he looked really promising before he was injured, and he's starting to look really good again now. Why would LFC fans not want to be excited about such a promising player fighting back into form?
 
I can barely remember what he was like or where he played prior to his 2 year injury lay off. I can remember being hugely impressed by him when he first joined but 2 years out ifbthe game at his age is a massive set back.

Is he primarily competing for a fullback position now or is he 3rd/4th choice at centre back?
 
Still remember how promising he was starting out under Rodgers, though he was limited to the fullback role but did the job solidly. His injury came at an unfortunate time as Klopp had just replaced Rodgers then. Fingers crossed if he can stay fit this season, he'll be an able utility player at the very least with our CB covers being not so convinving.
 
I can barely remember what he was like or where he played prior to his 2 year injury lay off. I can remember being hugely impressed by him when he first joined but 2 years out ifbthe game at his age is a massive set back.

Is he primarily competing for a fullback position now or is he 3rd/4th choice at centre back?

Primarily fullback but given our failure to buy a CB he is definitely in the mix there too.
 
We often say this ironically, but Gomez is indeed very much like a new signing. What are your impressions so far? Whenever he played CB in pre-season and in cup games last season I wasn't too convinced, but he always looks good at FB – maybe at this stage that's just his best position. In time, as they learn to read the game better and bulk up, some defenders successfully transition from FB to CB: Sergio Ramos, Jerome Boateng, Howedes, Carra, Maldini etc.


I've been thinking of / hoping for Ramos style progression as well. That took a fair amount of time and patience though.
 
He's looked superb in his two games, if it continues we'll have a great option for the season.

It seems to have a great attitude so would love to see him get that consistency we need
 
It's great that he's looked so solid since coming back, and that pass for Firmino's header was ace. It was a shame Klopp reintroduced in such ridiculous circumstances against Watford, and really... my ideal is for him to a CB. TAA looks fucking great at RB. I really think Robertson deserves a chance at LB. His performance against Palace was enough, but he was ace for Scotland over the weekend too. So Gomez, we were told he could play anywhere in defence, and while you can't just throw him in against City, I'd be trying him against Leicester in the League Cup, with a view to getting ahead of Lovren in the pecking order.
 
I remember him looking very assured in a game against Arsenal at the Emirates. I was in the Arsenal end pretty much on a corner flag and so spent half the game with him being right in front of us. He didn't look out of place then and he doesn't look out of place now.
 
It's great that he's looked so solid since coming back, and that pass for Firmino's header was ace. It was a shame Klopp reintroduced in such ridiculous circumstances against Watford, and really... my ideal is for him to a CB. TAA looks fucking great at RB. I really think Robertson deserves a chance at LB. His performance against Palace was enough, but he was ace for Scotland over the weekend too. So Gomez, we were told he could play anywhere in defence, and while you can't just throw him in against City, I'd be trying him against Leicester in the League Cup, with a view to getting ahead of Lovren in the pecking order.

Agreed on this. I'd love to see Robertson starting LB already, although Moreno hasn't looked too shaky so far. That Leicester game would be a great one to get Robertson, TAA & Gomez all in the same back 4.
 
He's looked great since pre-season. I had my concerns that he was going to go the way of the likes of Wisdom before him, but he's come back from this injury looking every bit the player he was a couple of years back. Him, Sturridge, Woodburn and TAA could be big bonuses this season for us if they all remain fit and in the reckoning.

Clyne is going to have his work cut out at this rate, as it's stands we've suddenly got a real abundance of options in both fullback roles.
 
Dunno man, that's a serious lack of experience in that back four.

True, but League Cup would be the perfect opportunity to try things out. It would of course be ideal to throw him in at CB as part of an established and experienced back four to find his feet and to increase confidence if we only had one, but as things stand this is the best spot to give him a run out. I'd also feel more confident with him playing in a back four with Robertson rather than Moreno for example.
 
I wouldn't mind seeing Lloyd Jones get the odd league cup run out, too, provided he is played alongside an experienced CB. We've got some really exciting forwards and midfielders among our under 23s and even younger levels, but we're pretty mediocre as far as young defenders are concerned. Jones is the one centre back who should be tested now. I think he's 21/22, so he's no longer just a kid. He should be pushing on, and the prospect of a cup game would at least give him greater cause to focus.
 
Given the length of time he's been out, Gomez practically is a new signing.

His cross for Firmino's goal was a pleasant surpise for me - i don't remember him being that good with his left foot during his spell in the team under Rodgers.

For him to return after a long spell out and look physically up to the Premiership and with a bit more to his game is a real positive.

The question mark is whether in the long term he'll move to centre back. I think he's great when people run at him and take him on, but in less obviously dangerous situations he's not always at the races.

He's got a future in our first XI, i'm just not sure where yet.
 
It can take even more experienced players a good while to grow into the CB role. Carra for example was poor there and far better at fullback until quite late on in his career. I think Gomez has something special and I wouldn't mind betting he moves successfully into the centre earlier than Carra did.
 
It's great that he's looked so solid since coming back, and that pass for Firmino's header was ace. It was a shame Klopp reintroduced in such ridiculous circumstances against Watford, and really... my ideal is for him to a CB. TAA looks fucking great at RB. I really think Robertson deserves a chance at LB. His performance against Palace was enough, but he was ace for Scotland over the weekend too. So Gomez, we were told he could play anywhere in defence, and while you can't just throw him in against City, I'd be trying him against Leicester in the League Cup, with a view to getting ahead of Lovren in the pecking order.

So far he's looked solid as a full-back, but I can't remember any game at CB (pre-season or official) where I thought he looked the part. It's really way too early to talk about him getting ahead of Lovren, at the moment he is a 4th-choice CB for me and I really hope we don't have to test him in this position in any important games this season. If he establishes himself as a FB, maybe in a season or two Klopp can start trying him in the middle, but at this point I feel it's just too early for him.

The popular opinion is generally positive on him at this moment, but as we know it can turn on a dime after one poor performance; it's so easy to go from "promising" to "hopeless" and "totally shit."
 
True, but League Cup would be the perfect opportunity to try things out. It would of course be ideal to throw him in at CB as part of an established and experienced back four to find his feet and to increase confidence if we only had one, but as things stand this is the best spot to give him a run out. I'd also feel more confident with him playing in a back four with Robertson rather than Moreno for example.
I'm all for trying them out in the cups. But if we get one injury before Jan we are down to Klavan plus one. Going by the injury records of matip and lovren, id say there's a strong chance both will be out simultaneously at some stage soon, especially considering CL games in addition to the league.
 
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