Alisson Becker has not been at his best for Liverpool recently. Paul Merson gives his verdict on why the goalkeeper has dropped standards.
Paul Merson believes Alisson has struggled of late because he lacks confidence in a make-shift Liverpool defence.
Arguably described as one of top two goalkeepers in the world, the Brazilian has had a tough past two games for the Reds.
Two blunders from Alisson saw Manchester City race to a 4-1 victory over their rivals at Anfield,
If there was any thought the goalkeeper would make up for his errors with a good outing against Leicester, those thoughts were wrong.
Alisson’s lack of communication with new signing Ozan Kabak handed Jamie Vardy the chance to walk the ball into an empty net.
Merson has claimed that Liverpool’s lack of first-choice central defenders has seen their once reliable goalkeeper drop standrads. The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are all out of action until the end of the season.
The former Arsenal midfielder said to Sky Sports: “The goalkeeper (Alisson) is, for me, the best in the world”
“Look at him now. There’s no trust at all in the back four, and he’s playing on a knife-edge.”
“It’s all because of Van Dijk. Why are Man City succeeding at the moment? They have defenders playing out of their skin.”
“Nobody wins anything without a good defence, and at the moment Liverpool’s defence is nowhere near the level they were at last year.”
With Alisson in goal, Liverpool have already conceded 32 goals this season, just one short of their total of 33 from their title-winning campaign in 2019/20.
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Alisson Becker
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
