Gunes: "Karius has gone a bit stagnant, something is wrong with his electricity, motivation, enthusiasm for the game"
Tuesday 12 March 2019 09:52, UK
Loris Karius' motivation has been questioned by Besiktas manager Senol Gunes after the Liverpool goalkeeper produced another poor performance for the Turkish club.
Karius, who joined Besiktas on a two-year loan deal from Liverpool in August following his error-strewn performance in the Champions League final against Real Madrid last year, has struggled for form in Turkey, keeping just five clean sheets in 26 games.
His struggles continued on Sunday when he was jeered by his own supporters for failing to make a simple save for Omer Ali Sahiner's equaliser for Konyaspor. He was beaten again in the game by Moryke Fofana but Shinji Kagawa eventually came to his rescue with a stoppage-time winner as Besiktas secured a last-gasp 3-2 victory.
And while Gunes took his share of the blame for Karius' poor form, he questioned the German's "enthusiasm for the game", saying he has stagnated since his arrival from Liverpool.
"He was at fault for the goals he conceded," Gunes said.
"Karius has gone a bit stagnant, something is wrong with his electricity, motivation, enthusiasm for the game.
"It has been like that since the beginning, "he added. "He does not really feel a part of the team.
"It's something we haven't been able to work out and, of course, I am partly to blame for this."
In a further blow to Karius' confidence, Gunes suggested he would drop the 25-year-old for his poor form if he had suspended 35-year-old Tolga Zengin available for selection.
"Something is wrong, he has also been unlucky," Gunes said.
"[He] is talented but it hasn't worked out and we have a problem. Let me put it this way, if I still had Tolga available I would play him."
