Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol jumps to the defence of Jurgen Klopp for his recent big-money additions in spite of his past comments.
With Alisson’s move from Roma to Liverpool now official, the ESPN FC guys discuss where the club will finish with the Brazil goalkeeper on board.
Jurgen Klopp says the opportunity to sign goalkeeper Alisson was too good to pass up, but insists his close bond with Loris Karius will not be impacted by the arrival of the Brazilian.
Alisson became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper earlier this week as he completed a £65 million switch to Liverpool.
The signing of the Brazil No. 1 therefore demotes Karius from starting spot after his errors in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
Alisson, formerly of Roma, has been a long-term target of the Reds, with Klopp pouncing as soon as he became aware a transfer was possible in order to beat off competition from Chelsea.
“You cannot be sure in the goalkeeper position,” he said. “What happened this year, there were a few things. You need to be aware of it. There was a chance, early on. When we found there was more of a chance, we had to jump on.
“It is no secret there was contact for a little bit longer with the agents. If something was going to happen, we wanted to show up. We were interested. The player was interested in the project and pretty quick we could do it.”
Karius became Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper for the second time at the start of 2018 and helped them reach their first Champions League final in 11 years.
But two errors that directly led to Real Madrid goals in Kiev and unconvincing performances in the preseason so far have seen Klopp move to rectify Liverpool’s goalkeeping issues.
Asked if he had explained the Alisson signing to Karius, Klopp replied: “Whatever we do in these situations, it is nothing for the public.
“It is not a case of he said this or he said that — there is nothing to say in public. It’s a job we have done a few times.
“We had a few midfielders before but we brought another two in. So what does that mean for the others? Maybe they will play a little bit less, maybe they will play all the games. We don’t know the situation. I know things are different when you bring a goalkeeper in.
“First of all, he is the No. 1 for Brazil and then there is the fee. Obviously he is a world-class goalkeeper, so we are not going to say: ‘let’s have a look.’ He will play, of course. When Alisson is ready, he will be in our goal. We all need to help him so he can perform as good as possible. That is maybe the only difference.
“But for that to happen and we need a stronger squad around and Loris is an outstanding goalkeeper. That is the truth. Nothing else.
“My job is together with [sporting director] Michael Edwards and [co-owner] Mike Gordon to bring the best players who are available for Liverpool — if they fit in. That is what we have tried to do. Then my job is to work with these boys and give them this kind of shape that they can really work together in the best possible way. It is the same for all positions.”
Karius is set to play in all three of Liverpool’s International Champions Cup fixtures in the United States, with Alisson continuing his holiday after being on World Cup-duty with Brazil.
Alisson is scheduled to join up with his new teammates in August at a four-day training camp in Evian, France, and could make his first appearance for the club in Dublin against Napoli on Aug. 4.
“When I saw him at Melwood, he looked fit. He is desperate to play. He could have joined us here, he wanted to stay that day [he signed] but it made absolutely no sense,” Klopp said of his new shot-stopper.
“He had a long year. As Brazil No. 1, it was quite an intense year! The World Cup is not a tournament you only play a little bit. It was intense, so I sent him on holiday again.
“There will still be two games to play and West Ham is only the first game of the season, not the last one. So we will see. Hopefully he will be here.”
Be the first to comment