ALISSON IS UPGRADE WE NEED, SAYS GROB
KOP legend Bruce Grobbelaar claims the arrival of £67million goalkeeper Alisson is a gamechanger for Liverpool. After a calamitous Champions League Final display by Loris Karius, which cost two goals in the defeat to Real Madrid, Alisson (above) is Jurgen Klopp’s new No.1 The Brazilian – football’s most expensive keeper – was handed his debut by boss Jurgen Klopp in the 5-0 demolition of Napoli in Dublin and didn’t put a foot wrong. In just 90 minutes his pin-point distribution, confidence and commanding presence looked to be the upgrade Liverpool desperately need if they’re going to challenge for the title this season. Alisson makes his Kop debut against Torino tomorrow, and Grobbelaar said: “Anyone who comes out of Brazil at a young age and comes over to Europe has got to have a big heart and a big personality. “He has that in abundance and he will go from strength to strength in the Premier League. He’s a great buy – even at that money. “With Roma he was fantastic. “This is an even bigger challenge but he’s made for it. He has played for Brazil in the World Cup and Roma in Serie A. He won’t have a problem at all.” German keeper Karius wilted under the pressure, but Grobbelaar (below) believes the South American is mentally tough.
“It can be daunting playing in front of the Kop,” added the former Zimbabwe international.
“But when Roma were at Liverpool last season in the Champions League semi-finals he saw what kind of atmosphere is generated at Anfield.
“He embraced that and wanted more and that’s a good sign.” Grobbelaar won six League titles and the European Cup at Anfield. And he insists Alisson has all the attributes to stand alongside David De Gea, Ederson, Thibaut Courtois and Hugo Lloris as one of the Premier League’s top keepers.
“De Gea is probably the best keeper in the League today,” said Grobbelaar. “But in his first two years at Manchester United he was nowhere near the calibre of keeper he is now. Alisson arrives at Liverpool with much more experience than De Gea had.”
The Reds’ new No.1 is certainly more mature than Grobbelaar, who signed after a loan spell at Crewe.
“I had to learn some hard lessons in my early days because I was a bit of a showman, a Jekyll and Hyde character,” he said.
“I’d be walking on my hands when the ball was down the other end of the pitch until Bob Paisley saw me do it. He told me if I continued doing that I’d find myself back at Crewe!
“So I just stopped then, and we happened to go on a very big winning run after that.”
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