Cody Gakpo says Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker always fills him with confidence out on the pitch.
Alisson has been Liverpool’s best player this season, and picked up his 100th Reds clean sheet during yesterday’s win over Brentford. Speaking to LFCTV after the game, Gakpo gave a shout out to his ‘keeper.
“When you know that there’s someone who can save the most crazy shots on target, difficult ones where you think it’s already a goal but he saves it, it gives you you big confidence to get on the ball and play,” said the 23-year-old. “He’s a big help for us.”
Alisson helps Liverpool regain their confidence
This might seem like an obvious thing to say from Gakpo, but it is incredibly important. On top of his great saves, excellent distribution and superb command of his penalty box, the biggest thing Alisson has brought Liverpool has been confidence.
Cast your minds back to pre-Ali days and it has been a long time since Reds players and fans have had that confidence in their ‘keeper.
Not since Pepe Reina’s earlier years at the club had everyone been totally calm about the position. Without a top custodian in the years in-between, Liverpool never looked capable of really challenging for the big honours.
But with Alisson, that changed almost instantly. After his £67m arrival, players suddenly had confidence that if they lose the ball or lose a runner, the goalie would bail them out.
This kind of shift in mentality can ripple throughout the whole team. You can play with a freedom and assertion, safe in the knowledge that you’ve got one of the very best behind you.
Never has that been more prevalent in Alisson than this season. Clearly, that brilliance hasn’t fed into Liverpool’s collective psyche for most of the campaign. But now that they’re back on the straight and narrow, they know that they can rely on their No.1 just as much as ever. What a player he is.