Loris Karius Can Overcome Weak Liverpool Start to Follow David De Gea Trajectory

Loris Karius’ move from Mainz 05 to Liverpool has not provided the smooth transition the young German goalkeeper would have liked so far, with injury and questionable form hampering his adjustment to life in the Premier League—but it is far from the lost cause premature criticism would suggest.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, speaking after the Reds’ 0-0 draw with his former side Manchester United on Monday night (h/t the Star’s James Benson), was one such critic, saying his “vulnerability” in dealing with crosses would have been targeted:

He didn’t look comfortable dealing with set pieces and seemed easily intimidated by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Flapping at crosses will never instil confidence in your defensive team-mates and he’s not the sort of ‘keeper I would have confidence playing in front of.

Make a decision and commit, be honest, just don’t flap and put your team at risk.

However, Neville presented a jarring dichotomy as he told Sky Sports United would have been “been grateful to [David] De Gea” for his contribution on the night.

The Spaniard produced two excellent saves to deny Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho, ensuring a share of the spoils for Jose Mourinho’s side in a contest their opposition dominated, enjoying 64.6 percent of possession.

While Neville retired from professional football towards the end of the 2010/11 campaign, just months before De Gea completed his move to United, the ex-Red Devils right-back will be well aware of the troubled start the No. 1 endured in his first season at Old Trafford.

Four games into his Liverpool career, Karius is under unnecessary pressure, and onlookers both on Merseyside and beyond need only look to De Gea’s trajectory from youthful pariah to goalkeeping messiah to determine this is an untimely judgment of the Reds stopper’s ability.

A £4.7 million signing from Klopp’s former side, Mainz, Karius arrived on Merseyside at the beginning of pre-season and took the No. 1 shirt previously worn by the likes of Bruce Grobbelaar, Sander Westerveld and Jerzy Dudek during Liverpool’s time in the Premier League.

This served as a statement of Karius’ intent: the former Manchester City youth was determined to take up duties as Klopp’s first-choice goalkeeper, and given the manager’s swift move to bring him to Anfield in May, this was a role that seemed earmarked for him.

Opting out of Olympic Games duty with the Germany Under-23s, Karius highlighted his commitment and key status at Liverpool; but while he started pre-season between the sticks, this was soon curtailed.

Karius broke his hand colliding with Dejan Lovren during the Reds’ 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the International Champions Cup in Los Angeles, keeping him out of action for the rest of the summer and into the start of 2016/17.

Coming in to make his first start of the season in the EFL Cup away to Derby County, Karius initially impressed, racing off his line to deny Darren Bent a great opportunity in what was an otherwise quiet evening for the goalkeeper—a decisive move that impressed Goal’s Liverpool correspondent, Melissa Reddy:

Great anticipation from Loris Karius, who …

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