Partly Kelleher’s rise, mostly Karius’ crumble.
It has been a particularly bad pre-season for Loris Karius at Liverpool but it hasn’t been a good spell for him on the entirety.
Even before his Champions League final meltdown, the German was never going to be the goalkeeper Liverpool needed to challenge for the title. He was still indecisive, he always looked unfocused and he was weak under physical and mental pressure.
In fact, his semi-final performance against Roma was nearly worse than the decider versus Real.
But Jurgen Klopp kept faith with him for the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign until one thing after the other conspired to alter his mindset ever so slightly.
Even before the pre-season games began, Karius was dropping clangers in the warm-up.
https://twitter.com/Markkinnaird/status/1015592664547373058
Then, of course, pre-season began and Karius was dropping clangers.
https://twitter.com/jamesdewsbury7/status/1016774168485027842
And they just kept coming.
https://twitter.com/DrKevinLynch/status/1021125634704269312
And coming.
Different day, Same Karius #LFC pic.twitter.com/uNpjZh7nRc
— Anthony Gaffney (@antog101) July 22, 2018
So Liverpool reacted to what they were seeing and it wasn’t rash to decide to splash a record transfer fee to bring in another goalkeeper.
And, after one day of having Alisson in Melwood, they already look like a sturdier team as the Brazilian and Kelleher manned the goals for a small-sided training game.
https://twitter.com/Salaholics/status/1024338689412026370
It doesn’t take a wonderful mind to work out that Alisson might win the starting jersey this year but where it leaves Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet is interesting.
According to The Telegraph, the club are considering offloading both players before the summer transfer window closes but that’s easier said than done given Karius’ form. Apparently Bayer Leverkusen are said to be sniffing around the German though whilst Barcelona could be interested in Mignolet as a back-up goalkeeper. They are eventualities that suit the boss.
“Jurgen Klopp is open to the prospect of selling both goalkeepers,” the report reads. “After the arrival of Alisson from Roma, rookie keepers Kamil Grabara and Caoimhin Kelleher are also understood to have impressed the Liverpool manager in pre-season.”
Caoimhin Kelleher – or Quivine, as the Liverpool site would tell you – might only be 17 but he is already impressing Klopp and the Cork native – who has featured plenty during Liverpool’s tour – could be bumped up to the first-team squad for the start of the season if his form continues to outshine his predecessors.
