Loris Karius’ distibution will be key for Liverpool, but he may have to wait for his chance to play in the Premier League.
Nothing is better than watching Liverpool win, even if it is against lowly Championship opposition. The Reds travelled yesterday to the iPro Stadium to take on Derby County in the third round of the English Football League Cup and the ensuing 3-0 victory was easily accomplished.
There were many positives from the game like Divock Origi’s goal, Coutinho and Firmino’s almost telepathic partnership, but what was most pleasing was Loris Karius addition to the team.
The German started for Liverpool in a competitive fixture for the first time since signing last night. He didn’t have much to do in the way of making saves, but his distribution from the back was a joy to behold.
Too often in the past, Simon Mignolet has put the team under unnecessary pressure with his poor kicking. This was the case against Leicester and Chelsea, but last night, while it may have been Derby County, Karius was assured and confident on the ball when in possession.
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You need only look at Claudio Bravo and David De Gea’s importance to the Manchester clubs to understand what distribution from the back can offer. Joe Hart was sold by Pep Guardiola because the Englishman couldn’t contribute to City’s possession based style of football.
In Karius, Jurgen Klopp has a player who is not only composed, but also confident. On more than one occasion the German shotstopper invited pressure before playing a clever pass. It was certainly risky but undeniably assured.
There is still the question of whether or not Karius will continue in goal for Liverpool or if Mignolet will be return between the sticks against Hull City on Saturday as Klopp prepares his side to build on their good start to the season.
Klopp could seriously affect the morale of his squad if he drops Mignolet after the Belgian has been in good form this season. We will see if Klopp make the bold decision to drop Migs, but it’s unlikely.
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