“THAT’S not too cool for a manager.
“If it works then it’s cool. I had a few centre halves who were able to do things a centre half should not do, like Mats Hummels constantly doing things which made no sense but he was really good in there.
“Alisson is obviously a goalkeeper who can play football, which is good. He’s confident enough to do it. He didn’t do it for showing off, he did it to sort the situation. He has a nice level of confidence, so he uses that. I like the save from the header more than the chip, but the chip was the right thing to do in that situation.”
Jürgen Klopp spoke those words following the 1-0 win over Brighton — a game where Mo Salah’s winning goal caused less excitement than Alisson Becker’s flamboyant chip over the onrushing Anthony Knockaert while a mile outside his area.
As Liverpool won the game the incident was treated with nothing more than raised eyebrows and light chuckles. No harm done and, in any case, we’re used to maverick goalkeeping performances at this club.
It was just funny that the nearest spectators were sat in the Main Stand; a place famed for the more mature and curmudgeonly viewer who frown at such behaviour. God knows what it did to them.
The ‘keeper himself had no issue with his showboating: “I take risks. Fans with heart problems have to be careful!”
Oh Christ. He’s one of them.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel where we preview, immediately react to and analyse every Liverpool game…
Older supporters may remember the time when the ever-reliable Ray Clemence gave way to a maniacal Zimbabwean who wasn’t too keen on his own goal line. Suddenly, our greatest ‘keeper was gone and we now had a man who saw no issue in racing out to the halfway line, even when there was plenty of cover in front of him.
A week later at the King Power Stadium, while The Reds were coasting to a 0-2 win, Alisson took a back pass from Virgil van Dijk and attempted a Cruyff turn on Kelechi Iheanacho. The Brazilian was less successful on that occasion and Rachid Ghezzal netted to make things very uncomfortable for the last half hour. It was the first goal we’d conceded all season and it was entirely avoidable.
We know that he’s an excellent ‘keeper, but many could be forgiven for worrying about this recklessness. After all, we’ve had nothing but fallible ‘keepers at Liverpool for years.
Loris Karius in Kyiv, Simon Mignolet’s lack of consistency, the latter days of Pepe Reina and his inability to guard his near post and that’s before you get to David James, Brad Friedel and Jerzy Dudek. Fine ‘keepers, all, but always capable of throwing one in when you least needed them to. If Liverpool are to be taken seriously then the stupid stuff would have to go.
Klopp refused to criticise his new ‘keeper in the press, though he was clearly furious on the sidelines at the time. Instead, he pointed out that the blame fell on more shoulders than Alisson’s. After all, both Liverpool’s centre backs had ample time to clear the ball long before the ‘keeper was involved. Furthermore, he didn’t want to see him change his ways. Though the error was avoidable, he still wanted the new man to use his feet.
“No. It’s only positive that he is that good a footballer. But we all have to learn to use it in the right way still. That means, pass the ball in the right moment, then immediately make another offer for him, open some passing options.
“That’s the job for the team, play the pass in the right moment, not on a dry pitch, not hard enough. Don’t do it in these moments. That was a mistake – no goalkeeper in the world should dribble in that situation. But he did it. But it’s all OK.”
Since that day, however, it has been noticeable that there have been no risks and every goal conceded has been due to no fault of the £65m signing. True, he could have done better with Eden Hazard’s shot at Stamford Bridge, but it was nothing like a howler.
Klopp’s right. There are times when you can go a bit jazz, and there are times when it’s best to clear it safely. It’s still okay to invite pressure, though.
Fast forward to last week’s Manchester City game. This time we saw a back four stroke the ball casually around the six-yard line while the best forward pressing line surrounded them like waiting tigers around a herd of gazelles. A very dangerous strategy, though it finished 0-0. This defence was not Liverpool’s, but City’s.
The tactic was the same adopted by Brendan Rodgers in 2013-14 and is designed to encourage to bring the opposing midfielders forward through a sort of defensive tractor beam, inviting the press. Then, when the moment is right, a long ball into space causes an overload where it’s most dangerous. Liverpool’s midfield didn’t fall for that and kept their discipline, and the most hyped-up game of the season was played to a stalemate.
Maybe Alisson’s style of play is best used for that tactic. By inviting the players onto him.
City certainly didn’t try that approach at Anfield in either the league or European games last season. Instead they preferred to go toe to toe in all-out attack. Come the second European game at the Etihad they had no choice but to go gung-ho given they were 3-0 down. They lost that game too.
Pep Guardiola’s policy had to change and so he did all he could to stifle Liverpool. Last season, Kyle Walker would have bombed past his midfield, but instead he was practically a third centre back, begging The Reds to come onto him and leave space behind.
Ederson Moraes, Alisson’s national rival, likes to take the odd risk too. The early part of last season saw him come out of his area and sweep, even though attacks against his side are rare. Maybe jeopardy is the new goalkeeping credo. Most managers will want their ‘keepers to be able to use their feet and distribute quickly, but only when an opportunity comes about.
Alisson, at least, seems to have calmed down a little and courted more positive reviews.
For instant reaction to all the Liverpool news and events that matter to you, SUBSCRIBE to TAW Player…
“We’re on a great journey with Klopp… who knows when it will end, but there’ll be more great football, great memories and unbelievable nights.” ✊
🗣 Subscribe here and listen to our latest chat with Jamie Carragher in full 👉 https://t.co/lmNtBz4ADz pic.twitter.com/URVUXqBpaR
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) October 12, 2018
Recent Posts:
[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
Though I am not entirely convinced of Alisson as it’s his first season and still so many games to go, I do see Alisson’s positives as outlined in this article (for the money):
– giving confidence to the backline
– commanding especially at set pieces
– making the key saves (except Hazard’s shot, though it was Hazard)
– quick with his feet and able to distribute the ball though sometimes a bit wayward
– looks the part, I mean, he has presence in goal, it makes a small difference during penalties
– learning from his mistakes – the howler he had against Leicester (no need to blame other players as Alisson also made the decision to not clear the ball) – hasn’t repeated the same Benny Hill act since
We still have some very important run of games coming up.
The next few games, especially with most Liverpool supporters and media thinking it’s a cake walk after the last run, are at times the banana skins, like against Arsenal.
As for old wobbly legs, Bruce won the cups that mattered most to us, kept over 170 clean sheets and was a brilliant shot stopper, especially plucking those shots in mid-air, along with his bizarre antics.
So before you start comparing him to Clemence or Reina next, let’s see what else Alisson wins us for 65 million.
The verdict is still out on his credentials but so far so good. It was actually against Brighton and Palace when we needed him most and he delivered. That’s what your goalkeeper has to do when you want to win the League.
He also bailed us out numerous times against Napoli. He is definitely an upgrade on Migs and Karius but there are still loads of games to come to prove his worth.
Alisson was actually fouled by Kelechi Iheanacho for Leicester’s goal. Kelechi kicked Alisson’s feet, not the ball and equally bundled him over. When you consider that FK’s were given in favour of Brighton’s goal keeper who came out and clattered into Firmino, failing to get to the ball and hit Bobby that hard he knocked him out of his socks, never mind his boots. Do that anywhere else on the pitch and it is an instant red, however not for this goalie who got a free kick in his favour. And then the Palace keeper who dropped the ball into his own net and was generously spared his blushes with a free kick in his favour.
Surprised some are saying the jury is out on Alisson. I understand about not getting a head of ourselves, but so far what we have witnessed is loads better than we have seen in years. I grew up watching Clemence, who was light years better than Shilton as a keeper and should have been England’s undisputed number 1, however I remember the one that trickled through his legs from Kind Kenny, when playing against Scotland… so no goalie is infallible from soft goals, it just not making a habit of them.
Felt sorry for Brad Friedel, who probably could have made it with us if we had persisted with him. We got him (Brad) when going through much transition and having much shite in defence (Kvarme anyone…. shudders at the name and that nervous twitch comes back). Wow did he have some cack playing in front of Friedel. As for some of the others such as Westerveld, he did my head in, he was a Dutch Karuis and neither are good enough for us. James and Dudek were both prone to lapse of concentration. pity as both weren’t actually bad keepers, just both had moments of being able to find ways of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory… and please don’t get me started on a fair few of our back up keepers. I’d sooner select my wheelie bin, or stick a shop dummy in goal.
So from what I have seen to date I am very happy. No longer does a ball in the box, look similar to a ravenous fox being thrown into a chicken coup. In fact I even reckon if you started lobbing in grenades with the pins removed that Becker would safely collect these in mid air and dispatch them to an area of the pitch they can do us no harm… and do all this so calmly.
So apart from a foul on Alisson that most goalies would have been awarded a FK and Eden Hazard’s goal at the Bridge (which he made 3 fantastic stops in the game to grab us a point, I can’t really see what he has supposedly done wrong.
*King Kenny… Can’t bloody type these days :D