Bruce Grobbelaar questions Jurgen Klopp’s treatment of Loris Karius after Champions League final

Liverpool’s former European Cup-winning keeper Bruce Grobbelaar has questioned Jurgen Klopp’s treatment of Loris Karius after the goalkeeper made two errors in Liverpool’s 3-1 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev last season.

Klopp replaced the German goalkeeper with Brazilian Alisson before the 2018-19 season got underway, which saw Karius loaned out to Turkish club Besiktas.

Grobbelaar ultimately believes that Klopp should have retained Karius this season and nurtured him, rather than loaning him out.

“Karius is still a very good goalkeeper, a brilliant goalkeeper,” Grobbelaar said, as quoted by The Mirror.

“The unfortunate thing for him is that he made two mistakes in the biggest game in football after making one mistake in his previous 33 appearances.

“But I don’t think he was nurtured in the right way after what happened in Kiev.

“When he needed people to lean on there was nobody there for him.

“As a former goalkeeper and now as a coach, the first thing that must be done when a keeper makes a howler like Karius did is to go and support him.

“You ask what happened, why, how? I’ve watched replays of Gareth Bale’s second goal over and over and it is clear to me that Loris simply took his eye off the ball.

“It was a basic error. But you don’t destroy a goalkeeper over that. You tell him he’s the best and you work on it every day in training.

“Clearly Jurgen Klopp didn’t do that because Karius is now playing for Besiktas, the fourth-best team in Turkey.”

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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Friday, January 5, 2018: Liverpool’s goalkeeper Loris Karius during the FA Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC, the 230th Merseyside Derby, at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

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Despite what Grobbelaar believes should have happened with Karius, he has been impressed with what Alisson is doing on the pitch this season.

“It is going to be very difficult for Karius to come back to Liverpool now, after they’ve spent so much money on Alisson,” said Grobbelaar.

“I have been very impressed with Alisson. It’s clear that he has got the huge personality to be Liverpool’s goalkeeper.

“He’s got great feet, he commands his area with authority, and he has a presence about him.

“Let’s hope he can maintain the start he has made. All eyes were on him after he was blamed for conceding a goal at Leicester – but I thought he was fouled.”

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Source: anfieldhq.com