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Difficult one this because the injury disrupted Joe's season and he only featured sporadically after his return (usually at right back) so he was never able to get back into any kind of groove. It would be unfair to judge him based on that though so instead I’m rating him based on his form pre-injury, which was sensational. His partnership with Big Virg (with Alisson behind them) was almost impregnable and it felt like we only conceded about three goals in the first three months. I know that’s not the case, it’s just how it felt to me. They never even really got to play with Fabinho shielding them either. Joel Matip was brilliant in the second half of the season, but the prospect of Gomez again linking up with Van Dijk, and with Fabinho destroying souls in front of them... well it’s mouth watering. Going into the season I didn’t expect that level of performance from Gomez. I know some probably did, as there have been calls for him to be given a run at centre back for a while. Not from me though. I'll freely admit that I’d have kept Ragnar Klavan (don't really have much of a choice seeing as I wrote it at the time!) as I felt like we were leaving ourselves a little short with just the four centre halves, especially as three of them have a history of missing a lot of games. As it turned out, I was half right as we did end up in a situation where Van Dijk was our only fit centre back and we had to use Fabinho there. That being said, Fabinho was brilliant when we had to cover there, so allowing Ragnar to go was the right call, especially as it gave Gomez his opportunity. I’ve always felt that Gomez looks like someone who could go on to be a superstar, but I didn't see it happening this season. You could see it though. Some players just stand out from the rest, and he did. He just looks smooth. He’s quick, strong, good on the ball and right from the very first game he played (at left back) you could see he had that something about him that great players have. Would I have put as much faith in him this season as Jurgen did? Nope. Two reasons for that. Firstly, the injuries. He’s missed so many games it was difficult to know if he was the same player he was before. Not only that, even if he was the same player he was before, he basically missed two whole seasons of development and gaining experience. So even though he was only 20 going into the season, he was an inexperienced 20 playing a position where experience is one of the main requirements to being successful. Young centre backs make mistakes. It goes with the job. That’s just a fact. It’s such a difficult position for a manager to put his faith in a young player, which is why they are often loaned out. Let them make those mistakes for someone else, or alternatively play them at full back until they've got enough experience to make the switch. You can throw a kid in up front and let him run around and freestyle a bit. If he’s talented, he’ll learn on the job while still making a contribution. You can play them in midfield or full back too, as they have enough players around them to help them out and cover for any mistakes. Centre back is a whole different ball game though. That’s why you rarely see top clubs playing youngsters in that position. Along with goalkeeper, it’s the one position where experience is just as important as talent. Gomez had all the tools and we knew he had massive potential, but I’ll admit, I was worried when we went into the season with Matip and Lovren sidelined, and Gomez as the only option to play alongside Van Dijk. I couldn’t have been more wrong though. Joe was a revelation. The mistakes that you expect from young defenders were nowhere to be seen. In fact, I don’t actually recall any. I’m sure there must have been one or two, but none jump out at me. That’s credit to Gomez but also to Virgil, who must be the easiest player in the world to play alongside as he’s so calm, so dominant and is always talking. Would Gomez have been so accomplished if he’d started the season alongside Lovren or Matip? Doubtful. And I don’t say that to diminish what Joe accomplished. He still has to go out and perform, and he did. Van Dijk makes it easier for the whole team though, which is one of many reasons why he’s the best in the business, Gomez was lighting it up alongside him though and if Virgil was the best in the league you could make a compelling argument that Joe was number two. Of course I’m biased, but who was better than him? Look around the league. Other than Laporte I don’t think there’s anyone who could say they were performing at the same level as Gomez. And then he got injured. He was playing right back that day, which directly contributed to the injury as he wouldn't have in that situation had he been playing in the middle. Klopp blasted the challenge from the Burnley lad but it really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. 99 times out of a 100 Gomez would have just walked away from that unscathed, but Joe doesn't seem to have much luck. The poor lad is cursed isn’t he? Some players are injury prone but Gomez just seems to be incredibly unlucky. It’s not as though he’s constantly picking up muscle injuries like Adam Lallana, or crying off with various different ailments like Dejan Lovren. He’s done his ACL, he’s done ankle ligaments and he’s broken his leg. He’s only 21 and he’s had those three major injuries already. As I say, cursed. Players who continually suffer from muscle injuries are not really any use and need to be moved on. That’s my definition of injury prone. Gomez has been prone to injuries, but is it fair to say he’s ‘injury prone’? I’m uncomfortable using that label on him based on the nature of the injuries he’s had. It also hasn’t helped that it appears his injuries have been mis-diagnosed on more than one occasion. It happened last season and cost him a place in the Champions League final as well as the World Cup (rumour has it that it also contributed to Buvac’s departure, as ‘the Brain’ felt that players were being rushed back from injury before they were ready). It happened again this year and cost him three months of the season. I don’t know if it was avoidable or if there is any blame to be attached to anyone, but two seasons running Gomez picked up an injury that was said to be one thing and turned out to be something different. The initial timescale for his return ended up being doubled in both instances. It cost him a starting place in two Champions League finals. He may or may not have played at right back last year, but were it not for the injury suffered at Burnley he would almost certainly have been lining up at centre back in this year’s final. Hopefully there are more to come though. It’s so tough because any time you lose your place due to a long term injury, it’s going to be heard getting back in when the standard is so high now. Last year he was being rotated with Trent at right back, but his injury opened the door for Trent to play every week and just look at how good he’s become. This year Joe’s misfortune presented an opportunity for Matip, and he was so good that no-one could get the shirt back off him. That’s how it used to be when we were so dominant, and even though football has changed and it’s much more of a squad game these days, Klopp is still operating a policy of if you’re in possession of the shirt and doing well, you’ll keep it except when you need a rest. Matip didn’t play every game in the run in. He was rotated with Lovren, but because he’d played so well he was always brought back in for the big games. Gomez was out of the centre back equation because he missed all that time. At least his versatility meant he still got some minutes filling in for Trent and he got on for a few minutes in the final too which was well deserved. The competition for places is fierce now, especially in midfield and at centre back. Joe deserves better luck next year and if he can stay fit then Klopp really is going to have an embarrassment of riches to choose from. Rating 9 /10. It’s a pre-injury rating. Overall I could have gone lower if I’d factored in the second half of the season, but both Matip and Fabinho were rated on the second half of the season when they played regularly, so applying the same criteria for Gomez how could he be any less than a 9? Best Moment: The goal-line clearance in the Anfield derby, or maybe turning on the after burners and delivering a crunching challenge on Lucas Moura against Spurs at Wembley. Worst Moment: Breaking his leg at Burnley. The future? As long as the injury curse is lifted this lad is going to be an all time great. I’ve got no doubt about that whatsoever. He’s been around for a while already but still has another 12 years in him before his pace starts to go. Fingers crossed, half of those years should be alongside Van Dijk so yeah, I think we’re looking at someone who could go on to be one of the best ever.

I love this little guy. How can you not love him? Look at his little smiling face. If I was one of his team-mates I’d spent all day just ruffling his hair and high fiving him. He’d probably end up hating me or reporting me for harassment. When I think of Shaq, the first thing that comes into my head is this clip of him on his first day at Melwood giving it the 'finger gun' when he saw the fitness guy he worked with at Bayern. That’s Shaq right there, a gif makers wet dream. He’s the kind of player that fans are drawn to. If he stays here another year (or hopefully more) he’ll be even more of a cult hero than he already is. In a squad full of so much talent he’s never going to be one of the main men even though he’s a top player in his own right. He’s a modern day Ronny Rosenthal type. Someone who made a big impact in limited playing time and who will always be remembered fondly and with a nostalgic smile. I wish he’d played more this season but I trust Klopp’s judgement implicitly (let’s face it, how can you not?) and if he’s not picking him much then there’s a reason for that. It’s probably due to his off the ball work more than anything. It’s not that he’s lazy or unwilling to work, I just don’t think it’s something he’s particularly good at as it doesn’t come naturally to him. Some players can just do it instinctively, but if you’ve got to think about where you need to run and when you need to close down, that split second can make all the difference. Initially I hoped Shaq might be able to fill the role Coutinho vacated. Sometimes in the front three, sometimes in a midfield trio. In theory it seemed like it could work, but Klopp never played him in midfield and usually when he picked him he changed the system to 4-2-3-1. It has to be down to a lack of trust in him defensively, as nothing else makes sense. Even taking that into account I still thought he could have been used more, because he is a difference maker. His goals and assists record is really good based on minutes played, and he’s one of those players who can lift the crowd as soon as he steps onto the field. He made an instant impact with a spectacular overhead kick goal against the Mancs in a pre-season game in the States, and he looked sharp from day one. A free-kick that hit the underside of the bar against Southampton (Mo followed in and buried it) also stands out as an early memory. I also remember Klopp coming onto the field at full time and having a right go at him over something. Poor little Shaq looked distraught, like a kid being blocked by his Dad. He was just unfortunate there, he was the first player Klopp ran into so bore the brunt of his ire over a short free-kick routine in stoppage time when Klopp wanted it put into the box. It wasn’t even Shaq’s fault, but he was nearest so he took the flak. His little face though, it was heartbreaking. The best bit was when he mistook Klopp’s gesturing as an offer of a handshake and he just grabbed Klopp’s hand. It kills me every time I watch this, it’s fucking hilarious. bigshaq.mp4 Cracking the starting line up was never really likely given the players he was competing against, and I also thought there might be an element of him needing to wait a few months until he learned all the intricacies of the pressing game. It didn’t really turn out like that. He probably played more early in the season than he did in the run in. That’s a little worrying in one sense, as you’d think that once he picked up all the nuances of the system he’d feature more, in the way Ox did the year before. Instead, he found himself struggling to get any minutes for about three months. Klopp actually apologised for this towards the end of the season, but when you see the results we had there’s not really anything to apologise for. That being said, maybe Shaq might have been able to make a difference in some of those draws we had? When he did play, he was effective. He ended the season with six goals from eleven starts. Ok, he had a lot of sub appearances too, but that’s still a good level of production. He had a few assists too, some of them vital ones. It was his cross from which Origi headed the winner at Newcastle, and it was another pinpoint Shaq delivery that allowed Gini to head in the third against Barca a few days later. He’s just a really good little footballer. He can score and he can create, and when he’s on the pitch he makes things happen. He also has the ability to immediately change the pace of a game when he comes off the bench. He can lift a crowd, which in turn lifts the team. There were a few occasions early in the season when he came on as a sub and with his very first involvement he immediately had the crowd go up a notch or two. Some players can do that, most can’t. It’s not always even about doing something impactful. It’s just the vibe he gives off. He’s busy, he looks like he wants to get on the ball and do something positive, and that has an effect on the crowd. This was never more evident than when he came off the bench to score twice against United at Anfield. They were really beginning to frustrate us but Shaqiri’s positivity turned the game. The tunnel footage they show on LFC TV after home games captured Van Dijk walking off the pitch and shouting “BIG SHAQ IN THE HOUSE!!!!”. I love that. I also love that Shaqiri never complained when he wasn’t getting a look in. Just like Origi, he kept his head down and waited for his chance to come again, and when it did he made sure he contributed to the cause. In short, he's boss and I love him. He's my Dad's favourite player. My Dad loved Ronny Rosenthal too, so that's something else they have in common. Rating 7/10. He was a steal for the price we paid and he’s done exactly what we needed him to do. Best Moment: Scoring twice in front of the Kop against United, and in doing so earning the approval of Big Virg.. Worst Moment: The first half against Barca wasn’t great, he kept giving the ball away. He was much better in the second half though. Being shouted at by his Dad, I mean manager, was the worst though. Poor little guy. The Future? Tough one this. I had suspected his stay here might be coming to an end but he insists he’s staying and I hope that’s the case. Regardless of what happens this summer he’ll always have a place in our hearts.