Reality bites Alisson in blunderland
JURGEN KLOPP says he is delighted new goalkeeper Alisson finally made himself look a clown – because he was a time-bomb waiting to go off.
Alisson’s error gifted Leicester a goal and let them back into the game at King Power Stadium.
It is the first one he has let in this season but Klopp says the Brazilian has been an accident waiting to happen after a close shave against Brighton last week.
At Leicester, Alisson dallied on a back pass, tried some fancy footwork and ended up being caught out by Kelechi Iheanacho, who crossed for Rachid Ghezzal to score.
Klopp said: “To be 100 per cent honest, I’m really happy it happened because we don’t have to wait for it now.
“After last week everyone was talking about it and saying some day it will be difficult. Today you saw it. Don’t do it that way. Box ticked. Carry on.”
Alisson was at pains to say he did not try his Cruyff turn because he was a show-off.
“It is part of my game but I’m not going to be arrogant and say I’m going to keep doing it,” he said. “We have to learn from our mistakes.
“If the dribble is necessary it has to be the last resort. I just have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Klopp said: “He’s not arrogant but confident he can do it. We make decisions in a second and in a second you realise that was wrong.”
Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel felt Alisson’s pain. “Of course you feel for him,” he said. “He has been fantastic in their first three games.
“I don’t know Liverpool’s style exactly but I think they encourage the keeper to take chances to keep possession like Ederson at Manchester City.
“When you do that you have to accept that mistakes are sometimes made.”
Schmeichel signed a new five-year deal this week and hopes Harry Maguire will follow suit.
He added: “It’s up to him but if he feels it’s something he wants to do then obviously we would be delighted.”
Alisson’s error not only gifted Ghezzal a debut goal but threw the home side a lifeline.
First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino had provided a comfortable gap for Liverpool and Mo Salah really should have scored from close range. Liverpool keeping up their 100 per cent start capped a great week for defender Joe Gomez, who is back in the England squad after surgery ruled him out of the World Cup
He said: “The main thing is we’ve come away with 12 points. I think there were times last season when we might not have seen games out and we want to correct that.
“These could be valuable points come the end of the season. We deserved to win and we’ll take the three points over a clean sheet.”