Liverpool coach Achterberg sends thinly-veiled dig to Mignolet and Karius with his praise for Alisson

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Liverpool coach John Achterberg has claimed that the crowd are no longer worried when the ball goes into the box with Alisson Becker in goal, The Liverpool Echo reports.

Alisson joined Liverpool from Roma in summer 2018 and has been Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper since then. Although he is currently out injured, his form between the sticks has helped Liverpool reach the next level.

The Brazilian stopper replaced error-prone goalkeeper Loris Karius for Liverpool. Simon Mignolet was also in contention with both players receiving criticism from the Liverpool fans.

Achterberg believes Alisson’s presence for the Reds helps to calm the Anfield crowd. He told The Liverpool Echo: “I think Ali and the boss have changed the way the crowd are really with the way they manage and play. Now the crowd is positive from the first second and are not worried if the ball is in the air or the box.”

TBR’s view

This appears to be a thinly-veiled dig at Karius and Mignolet. Karius received a lot of criticism for some high-profile errors. Liverpool’s contrasting fortunes in the two Champions League finals illustrates the difference between Karius and Alisson.

At the end of the 2017/18 season, Karius made a costly mistake against Real Madrid. Liverpool consequently lost in the Champions League final. One year on, Alisson kept a clean sheet as Liverpool won the European title.

Alisson cost a lot of money but he has improved Liverpool significantly. Just like Virgil Van Dijk, he has arrived at the Merseyside club and made an instant fix in a problem position.