Loris Karius was always going to get his chance at Liverpool this season. It was just a matter of taking it when it arrived.
Five months into the season and we are still discussing who should be starting in goal for Liverpool. He has had good games and bad games but he has not made that starting role his own.
The German will travel up the M62 to Old Trafford, on Sunday, and will hope to get the starting nod for a crucial league encounter against Manchester United. There’s no doubt who United will have in goal – David De Gea.
He could do worse than seeking out the Spaniard for some words of advice [after the game]. De Gea has experience of what Karius is going through. Both men were brought to England for a hefty price and struggled in early games.
While De Gea is now clearly established as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, Karius has a ways to go and questions to answer.
Liverpool’s current goalkeeping quandary was discussed on this week’s Football Friday Live. Former Sunderland and Aberdeen goalkeeper David Preece believes Karius will eventually benefit from being dropped by Jurgen Klopp earlier this season. He said:
“It’s probably worked out for him that he’s been pulled out. It’s damage limitation before it goes beyond a point where he’s never going to recover.”
Preece, who now works as a football journalist, recalled how the 2011/12 dropping of De Gea [he battled for the No.1 spot with Anders Lindegaard for most of the season] was ultimately the making of him. He said:
“De Gea had a tough time and he was taken out. Lindegaard came in. Eric Steele, the goalkeeping coach came in and was asked to take him out of the limelight and work with him.
“At a goalkeeping conference last summer, Eric was very open about how refreshing it was to work with David. He said it was about breaking down his game and rebuilding it. David had a big say in that as well.
“He now uses those tips and coaching methods, that he picked up from David De Gea, with other goalkeepers.”
De Gea did not baulk when his game was stripped back to its core and it was his honesty, openness and lack of ego that saw him return better and stronger than ever.
Karius would do well to take not.
