Giorgi Mamardashvili had a part to play in Brighton’s opening goal, and his distribution in general was below par, but Liverpool fans need to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Since arriving at Anfield in the summer, the Georgian shot-stopper has not featured too often for Arne Slot.
Mamardashvili has come into the starting lineup with Alisson Becker out ‘for a while’, and made his sixth Premier League appearance of the campaign as Liverpool suffered another sickening loss against Brighton.
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His 2/16 accurate long balls paint a picture of rash decision making and poor technique, but there are factors at play that should be noted when assessing his performances.
Why Giorgi Mamardashvili might be struggling for Liverpool
For any squad player, staying mentally and physically ready poses a challenge. For a back-up goalkeeper, it’s exponentially harder. No 20-minute cameos to keep the legs fresh, and a lot of time spent in reflection on the bench.
Many fans have criticised his work on the ball, and it’s a fair point. He completed just 46% of his passes, and 13% of his long balls at the Amex. That’s not good enough.
But he has not been integrated into this side, as an outfield signing would be.
The more pertinent factor is that Mamardashvili is left-footed, unlike his Brazilian teammate. It happened on multiple occasions where the ball was passed to his weaker side, and the adjustment to his left allowed Brighton to press up aggressively. Other times, he just hoofed it with his right.
In terms of shot-stopping, the Georgian has shown himself to be more than capable. His 3.5 saves per 90 in the league show that. Brighton could have had one or two more on Saturday to make it a real embarrassment for Liverpool.
There isn’t that same air of calm that you get with Alisson, but that’s not a slight on his supposed successor.
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Mamardashvili was brought in to secure the future of the position. He will be Liverpool’s starting keeper sooner or later, and it would be best to avoid overcriticising certain aspects of his game that will naturally get better with more minutes on the pitch.
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