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My timeline is full of people having a pop at James for this piece.
One thing I would say is, fans tend to put high value on the obvious and highly visible, but a low/null value on things that are subtle and low-visibility. https://twitter.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1194168119272595456
One thing I would say is, fans tend to put high value on the obvious and highly visible, but a low/null value on things that are subtle and low-visibility. https://twitter.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1194168119272595456
What I mean by that is, with goalkeepers we tend to jump on the ones who make obvious errors, such as Karius. The reason being it is easy to see, everyone else will see it, you can't be wrong calling it out - it is highly visible and memorable.
It's low hanging fruit analysis.
It's low hanging fruit analysis.
However, a player probably makes only a few of those big errors per season and they tend to be random, unpredictable & not really linked to anything specific that is a problem.
What coaches look for, are things that are a problem underpinning an aspect of the game - limitations
What coaches look for, are things that are a problem underpinning an aspect of the game - limitations
So a goalkeeper that can't deal with high shots and tip them over the bar, a keeper who has slow feet to move across his line (cutbacks, crosses), a keeper with weak wrists &/or parrying shots back into danger for simple rebounds, a keeper who can't catch the ball.
Or even just basic positioning. I still remember seeing a pundit on Italian television highlighting how with good positioning, those world class saves become routine saves - but more importantly, those shots just out of reach become saveable.
"But everything is right at him"
"But everything is right at him"
Things like that are a problem all the time. Every game. If another team scouts it well and can find a way to expose it, then you can target the player and get an easy goal out of them. This is a limitation that should have been solved in youth levels and now is too late to solve
This is why Klopp seems to like Lovren. He doesn't have any limitation that hinders his performance that can be targeted. Sure, he struggled to deal with Aguero's foot speed when he feigned shots - show me a CB who doesn't. There won't be many - that is why Aguero is so effective
He makes absolute howlers, completely at random that are highly visible and easy to jump on. He also has the worst injury record out of a collection of second choice CB's that spend a lot of time injured.
For a long time he was preferred over Matip as Matip was far too passive for the Premier League and it was getting exposed. He was letting the ball bounce in dangerous areas, he wasn't challenging for headers he felt he might not win, things that would concern Klopp.
He doesn't do this anymore though - and maybe this was just an adaptation process with him that he needed to get through.
Likewise, with Gomez, there was always the concern with how he seemed to lose the flight of the ball in the air. While his volume and success rate of
Likewise, with Gomez, there was always the concern with how he seemed to lose the flight of the ball in the air. While his volume and success rate of
aerial duels is still some way off our other three central defenders, this is no longer the big concern it once was. He is around league average in this sense now while being legitimately world class on the ground. Few players get anything out of him and he has pace for days!
So that is why Klopp still trusts Lovren even when it seems most of the fanbase no longer do. They see him as a disaster waiting to happen while Klopp sees him as a defender who wins most of his duels, whether on the deck or in the air and doesn't have any exposable limitations.
He also gives him some leeway on poor performances when he doesn't have any rhythm where the fanbase perhaps does not.
He'll almost certainly moves on this summer, but until then it seems Klopp will keep trusting him when injuries require him to. Especially if we keep winning.
He'll almost certainly moves on this summer, but until then it seems Klopp will keep trusting him when injuries require him to. Especially if we keep winning.
