Klopp makes it so tough for Alisson
ALISSON has been given a crash course in what life is like for goalkeepers in England to prepare for his first big test as Liverpool No 1.
The Brazil international had the luxury of almost being a spectator in the opening weekend 4-0 dismissal of West Ham, a genteel introduction to the Premier League.
All that will change, though, at Selhurst Park tonight. Jurgen Klopp suspects Alisson could be targeted, and in order to get him ready the Liverpool manager gave goalkeeping coach John Achterberg the green light to take out rugby pads and subject the 25year-old to no-nonsense treatment.
Klopp and Achterberg have used this technique before on Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius. The sessions involve crosses being fired into the area while someone blocks and buffets the keeper with the pads.
‘It is what the goalkeepers always do,’ Klopp said ‘It is not really rugby; it is goalkeeper training. All the boys did it. Alisson is doing it as well. It makes sense.
‘We have these situations in training constantly when we do set pieces — the box is full with 22 players. Maybe that is a bit much, but 15 certainly. It is all about timing. It is busy, we do it often so that the goalkeeper gets used to that.’
Alisson, whose time as the most expensive goalkeeper in history was short-lived, has made a big impression with his new teammates so far, Virgil Van Dijk saying that the £65million man’s constant barking of orders has kept Liverpool’s defenders switched on.
It is the ability to start attacks quickly with accurate passing, however, that Klopp believes will set Alisson apart, and he will not ask him to change his ways.
‘We brought him here because of the things that he is already good at,’ said Klopp. ‘That is what we want him do. It is not that the goalkeeper has to change completely now for this league, we have to help him, too, in situations.
‘There is not just one player responsible for something. We have to have the right formation around set pieces; set pieces can be quite different here.
So far, it has been absolutely OK. But it is not solely about Alisson. It is down to the whole team.’
In defence, Joe Gomez will be hoping to continue his partnership with van Dijk. The England international will soon come under pressure from the returning Joel Matip, who is expected to make the bench at Selhurst Park, but is finally getting a chance in his preferred central position.
Gomez has been asked to fill in at right-back for most of his Reds career but Ragnar Klavan’s departure for Cagliari indicates Klopp now plans to utilise the 21year-old through the middle.
Containing Wilfried Zaha will be critical this evening if Liverpool are going to win again.
The task of keeping the Palace star in check will fall to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was given a chasing by Zaha when these sides met at Selhurst Park in March.
‘Zaha is exceptional, that’s true,’ said Klopp. ‘If you leave any fullback alone, nobody is able to defend Zaha. But we will not do that. Trent is very smart, a very serious football player. ‘He wants to play, perform, and show his best.’
Those words also apply to Zaha, who will play for the first time since signing a lucrative longterm deal. He is maturing into a forward of the highest quality and Roy Hodgson, the Palace boss, is adamant that maturity will bring further progression for the player.
‘He’s more aware where his strengths lie and where his weaknesses are,’ Hodgson explained.
‘The important thing for us at Crystal Palace is not to put too much pressure on him. I feel with all players who capture headlines is that after a while people will put too much on them and be quick to judge.
‘I don’t want that to happen. I hope he can achieve all he wants here. It seems now we are creating an unbelievably thin category where if you haven’t won the Premier League or Champions League, your career has been a waste of time.
‘I’m afraid I don’t subscribe to that.’
Nor will Hodgson subscribe to the idea that Zaha is inferior to Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who form Liv- erpool’s much-vaunted attacking trident.
‘He works with me, he is a Crystal Palace player,’ said Hodgson. ‘Of course I’m going to say he compares. If you say, “Does he compare with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?” I’d say yes. But I don’t need to make those comparisons. ‘I’ll let other people do that,’ he added.