Liverpool ‘s star signing Alisson Becker’s mistake against Leicester turn back the memory of howlers in the past, with the Brazilian desperate to rectify himself after the international break.
Just after the hour mark amidst the Foxes high press, Virgil Van Djik back pass forced Alisson to move from his post and drive the ball ahead. But that wasn’t the case as it should be. Leicester’s forward Kelechi Iheanacho,from the substitute bench, limp up to wish for an opportunity to baffle the goalkeeper as any high pressing striker would do. With the ball on his feet, Alisson tried to cut back the forward in a stylish manner but eventually got it all wrong. Exposed from his place, it was easy for Kelechi to steal the ball and square for Rachid Ghezzal to score in the empty net. And that was that. Though Leicester tried their best in hunt for a leveller, a resilient defence, nevertheless, and two first half goals from Sadio Mane and Firmino were enough to conceal victory. But were the travelling support happy with four straight wins in the new season? The answer is no. Why? This one is enormous.
Yes, the fans are satisfied with their club’s dominant performance one after the other but that Alisson howler brings back recent disappointment in the Champions league final against holders Real Madrid. Everybody knows the purpose of mentioning the event. Lorius Karius’s catastrophic events in that night made a destructive end to the Red’s dream campaign in the European competition last time. Naturally, the fans are upset and confused at the same time about the role which is often termed as ‘unforgiving’. Even more, Alisson’s style with his feet that he says a part of his playing matter has terrorized normal mind set. Against Brighton, he executed a brilliant lob over striker Glen Murray from the pass by Virgil, once again and high press too, as a spectacle but proved to be a fatal error, a week after. However, the World Cupper offers to bounce back to regenerate his personal best.
“I am angry that I made a mistake that put the team in a difficult situation. It was a bad judgement; I made a mistake reading the play. I didn’t get a very good pass and we talked about that in the dressing room and I spoke to Virgil. It wasn’t a good pass but I could have kicked it long.
“I’m not going to be stupid and make the same mistake. We have to learn from our mistakes. It is part of my game but I am not going to be arrogant to stand here and say I’m going to keep doing it. We have to learn from our mistakes.”
His manager Jurgen Klopp has come out in the press to defend him, saying ‘he is happy’ that Alisson committed the error in the game providing that it would help him continue to move up the ladder.
“He is 0.0 per cent arrogant, but he’s confident and he can do it. It’s like when our centre-halves play passes, They have to play passes and defend and all that stuff. I don’t look for anyone responsible, the final one was Alisson but we should have cleared the situation before. I think that was this situation. To be 100 per cent honest I am really happy it happened, because we don’t have to wait for it now.’’
It was right of Klopp to shove away critics for his £56 million summer signing, played only four competitive games and yet to show his sparkling best but as legend Alan Shearer remarked, he won’t be allowing it then and now.
Indeed, it’s too early for new arrival Alisson to flood himself with critics or restrict his commitment but sort of a manner to turn back and understand the core mantle of his real endeavour.
