Pundit Garth Crooks believes that Ibrahima Konate is emerging as a future Liverpool captain having turned in ‘immense’ displays.
Liverpool picked up another big win on Sunday afternoon, hammering Bournemouth 4-0 on the South Coast.
Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez both bagged braces as Liverpool ran riot in the second half, scoring all four goals after the break.
Given the amount of players Liverpool are missing right now – such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah – this was a huge victory.
The Reds continue their push for the Premier League title and may have a player with real captain material emerging…
Garth Crooks raves about ‘immense’ Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate
Liverpool kept another clean sheet on Sunday even without their first-choice right back and left back.
Key to that clean sheet was the pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in the heart of the Liverpool back line.
The injury to Joel Matip means that Van Dijk and Konate are Liverpool’s first-choice pairing right now and the Frenchman is thriving.
Konate has been in fine form of late and particularly impressed in the draw with Arsenal just before Christmas.
Pundit Garth Crooks has now moved to praise Konate, suggesting that he is now looking ‘more accomplished’ with each passing week.
Crooks hailed Konate as ‘immense’ against Arsenal in the FA Cup earlier this month with Van Dijk out of the side, and feels that he was even better against Bournemouth.
Crooks added that Konate is looking like a Liverpool captain of the future with his commanding performances in the heart of defence catching the eye.
“If Sunday’s match at Bournemouth had been a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it,” said Crooks. “The hosts never laid a glove on Liverpool, who were comfortable 4-0 winners. The Reds dominated possession, while Konate and Virgil van Dijk never gave Dominic Solanke, Justin Kluivert or Luis Sinisterra a kick.”
“Konate is looking more accomplished the more I see him. He was immense against Arsenal in the FA Cup earlier this month without Van Dijk by his side, and even better against Bournemouth. He is starting to look every inch a Liverpool captain of the future,” he added.
Konate’s route to becoming Liverpool captain is tricky to say the very least.
Van Dijk is the current Liverpool skipper and he doesn’t appear to be going anywhere any time soon, whilst Alexander-Arnold is the vice-captain.
Alexander-Arnold will be primed to take the armband whenever Van Dijk moves on, but maybe Konate will step up as vice-captain whenever the time comes.
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