Caoimhin Kelleher looks likely to play against Wolves and here are three things Jurgen Klopp will want to see. The 22-year-old has a golden chance.
Jurgen Klopp believes Caoimhin Kelleher is a ‘sensationally talented’ goalkeeper and it sounds like he’ll start the Irishman against Wolves.
And if he does, there are certain things he’ll want to see. The boss is taking a risk with Kelleher, after all, by leaving out the far more experienced Adrian.
Klopp will want him to be a goalkeeper that can backup Alisson Becker, obviously – something Adrian hasn’t proven he can do. But that requires a certain type of player.
Growth
Everyone will hope Kelleher can use his good performance against Ajax to grow his confidence. It’s a problem for every young goalkeeper, after all – can you hold your own when surrounded by senior players?
Confidence is key in that position more than any other. You’ve got to command other players, show no hesitation, and follow through on your decisions.
Klopp will want to see that he’s got a growing belief in himself. It doesn’t need to be a complete belief but certainly enough that Kelleher will be naturally comfortable in short time.
Footwork
Alisson is one of the best goalkeepers in the world with the ball at his feet. Adrian is not. We saw that with his first error against Aston Villa.
Klopp needs a goalkeeper who can pass and show patience in possession, though. Kelleher didn’t have to do too much of that against Ajax but Wolves will likely sit back a bit more.
This is a particularly big one. If Kelleher looks comfortable on the ball, he makes himself the kind of goalkeeper that’s hard to find.
Repeat
More than anything, Klopp will want to see that Kelleher didn’t give a one-off performance against Ajax. The Irishman was fantastic in that game but in truth, he put in the minimum standards for a Liverpool goalkeeper.
The good news is that he’s already proven capable of delivering them. Not every goalkeeper can.
Next up, however, is showing he can deliver them as a base level.
Backup goalkeeper is a strange role in that regard. You don’t need to be a special player or someone capable of the elite. Instead, the club just wants to know that when you play, you deliver their minimum standards without question.
It’s not good having someone who can play excellently but is just as likely to have a shocker. Liverpool already have that in Adrian, unfortunately for the Spaniard.
Kelleher, then, needs to show that his average performance is Liverpool’s minimum requirement.
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