Adrian the wall in Alisson’s absence
Liverpool FC can be forgiven for not wishing to dwell on what they have lost due to Alisson Becker’s injury ahead of the Super Cup.
The Brazilian’s exceptional statistics would probably prompt Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp into an hour-long lament, so it is no surprise that he arrived in Istanbul talking up the qualities of deputy goalkeeper Adrian rather than lingering on an absent friend.
There is no escaping the chasm Alisson leaves behind. That is why Liverpool paid £65 million ($121m) to fix a problem that lasted decades.
“Maybe the best goalkeeper in the world right now,” was how Virgil van Dijk described Alisson, although he was discussing another omission at the time, the Brazilian surprisingly left out of Fifa’s 10-man shortlist for player of 2019.
“I have no idea who made the decision. But I don’t think Alisson needs to be on the list to be known as one of the best,” said the Dutchman, who might miss the keeper more than most.
Although van Dijk is rightly tipped as a possible Ballon d’Or winner, it is in tandem with Alisson that he has transformed Liverpool’s defence from shaky to sturdy.
While nobody completed a successful dribble beyond van Dijk, the Anfield No 1 ranked top of all Premier League goalkeepers for clean sheets, save percentage and successful passes last season; extraordinary figures when you consider van Dijk had no settled centre-back partner and the fullbacks were rewriting assist records.
Alisson conceded fewer goals per minute than any of his rivals and was third with his passing accuracy, as important in starting attacks as repelling them.
That is the raw science behind his contribution but there is more to it than data. There is also the stature and influence of the man.
Although van Dijk was named man of the match when Liverpool won the Champions League final in June, it was the assured handling of Alisson that frustrated Tottenham Hotspur. He had an equal claim on the award.
Temporary replacement Adrian has sizeable gloves to fill. He has built a reputation on being solid at West Ham, although he measures up well statistically.
Across 125 Premier League appearances his save percentage was an impressive 72 per cent, just 5.1 below Alisson’s in his debut season at Anfield.
Where Liverpool can expect a deterioration is in their ability to play from the back. Adrian’s distribution accuracy is under 50 per cent, while Alisson is at 80 per cent, although the Spaniard may argue he was instructed to play a more direct game than that demanded by Klopp. There was certainly no obvious weakness in his distribution during his debut on Friday.
“We need Adrian and he needs our support,” van Dijk said. “For him, it is good he starts playing straight away. It is not the situation we wanted, with Alisson getting injured, but Adrian is experienced enough to show his qualities. We have seen how good he can be.”
Klopp has offered similar reassurance although, such is Liverpool’s goalkeeper shortage, the manager said Adrian needs to be “wrapped in cotton wool” rather than overexerted in training sessions. As expected, 35-year-old Andy Lonergan joined the trip to serve as back-up to Adrian.
“We don’t have to talk too much about it, that’s what the experience is for,” Klopp said. “He looked good and sharp from the first session he had with us but of course now we need to be careful.
“We cannot do the hardest training with him every day. We have to make him match fit, that’s how it is. He’s a really good goalie and a really good person.”
Dejan Lovren was a notable omission from the Super Cup squad as transfer talks continue with Roma. Lovren remained on Merseyside while his Liverpool teammates travelled to Turkey to face Chelsea, his noninclusion attributed to illness rather than an impending deal.