Every new ‘keeper appears to be subjected to the same questions when arriving in England but Karius is yet to prove he can pass with flying colours.
New Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has told the Liverpool Echo that the criticisms that surrounded his early displays in English football have been overblown.
The German shot-stopper endured a nervy start to life in Merseyside, his performance in The Reds’ goalless draw with Manchester United last month was picked apart following a couple of shaky passes from the back and an alarming flap which almost gifted Zlatan Ibrahimovic the winner.
Ironically, the man who took Simon Mignolet’s starting berth at Anfield has been questioned for largely the same flaws that saw his Belgian counterpart come under pressure from the press and pundits, namely his difficulties in commanding his penalty box.
However, Karius believes such concerns have been blown out of proportion, adding that he retains the trust of the only individual whose opinion truly matters – Jurgen Klopp.
“I think the problem was more that, in the first games, there was really nothing for me to do as in saves so when I made maybe a bad pass or missed one cross or something, it was looked at very critically because this was the only stuff to be looked at,” the former Mainz ‘keeper told the Liverpool Echo.
“When you have the trust of the manager it’s always good for a player. It’s always something that makes you feel good, the manager appreciating your qualities and believing in you.”
Klopp’s belief could hardly be more pronounced, with the 23-year-old starting all but one of Liverpool’s games since replacing Mignolet between the sticks.
And Karius is certainly not the first goalkeeper to endure a trying adaptation to the physical demands of the Premier League.
Just down the M62, a certain David De Gea was written off after a few brief appearances as Manchester United’s number one, with opponents intent on crowding him at corners and taking advantage of his slender frame.
Even Claudio Bravo, a treble winner at Barcelona, has been subject to nigh-on endless examinations since replacing the long-serving Joe Hart at the Etihad, a goal-losing mistake on his debut in the Manchester derby not helping matters.
And Karius, voted by his fellow professionals as the second best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga last season behind (who else?) Manuel Neuer, has the agility and confidence to succeed in this most demanding of leagues, once he irons out the few remaining kinks in his game that is.
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