Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on his new goalkeeper, Alisson, for a solid display during the Reds’ 4-0 thrashing of West Ham last weekend.
This was the perfect way for Klopp’s troops to start the 2018-19 season. They are widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the League this season, and a 4-0 victory against a highly-rated West Ham side shows that they have tremendous talent within their squad.
Alisson arrived at Anfield during the summer transfer window. The Brazil international managed to build himself a reputation as one of the best keepers in the World last season, while he was on the books of Serie A giants Roma.
He also started all of Brazil’s World Cup games, ahead of Manchester City’s highly-rated Ederson. While Liverpool exceeded expectations last season, the one area in which they struggled was the goalkeeping department.
Since Pepe Reina left the club, it can be argued that the Reds have never managed to find themselves a solid and consistent first-choice goalkeeper. Last season, both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius failed to convince the Kop that they were capable of holding down the first-choice keeping position on a long-term basis.
This eventually led to the club swooping for Alisson. Impressively, the South American opted for Klopp’s side, even though he was also linked with moves to Real Madrid and Chelsea.
After Liverpool’s mauling of the Hammers, Klopp paid tribute to Alisson. Though the keeper did not have a busy night, he looked confident in goal.
Speaking to Liverpool’s website, Klopp said: “Alisson played a fantastic game, being really concentrated. We all expect these boys to act like machines but they are not, they are human beings,”
“In the first game you could be nervous. Obviously both [Alisson and Keita] were not nervous, which is good. Especially in our possession, he was a very dominant figure.”
