Liverpool will look for another back-up keeper after Adrian's costly mistake against Atletico Madrid, David Maddock tells Sunday Supplement
Monday 16 March 2020 05:55, UK
Adrian's error against Atletico Madrid underlined Liverpool's need to sign another goalkeeper to cover for Alisson, according to David Maddock on Sunday Supplement.
While coronavirus' impact on football dominated much of this week's show, the panel also reflected on Liverpool's midweek extra-time defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16.
Liverpool were on course for a place in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, thanks to Robert Firmino's extra-time strike, but Adrian's misplaced pass allowed Marcos Llorente to turn the tie on its head and ultimately knock out the reigning champions.
Jurgen Klopp's team had dominated the contest for much of the night but with first-choice 'keeper Alisson missing with a hip injury, Adrian's error proved costly. A back-up 'keeper, to challenge the Brazil international - who was also sidelined earlier this season with a calf problem - will be a priority transfer for Liverpool when the window opens again, believes Maddock.
"[Atletico Madrid boss Diego] Simeone was going crazy because he knew his team was getting absolutely destroyed," said Maddock, the Daily Mirror's northern football correspondent. "And they were destroyed.
"Liverpool had 37 shots on goal which is a Premier League side against a non-league side sort of level. Had they scored seven or eight it would have been perfectly justified. They scored two, were in the lead and then the 'keeper just chucked one in. It was the worst mistake you'll ever see.
"He was garbage. To be fair, he's been an accident waiting to happen for the last few weeks. I kind of thought if Liverpool were to go out it would be because Alisson was injured and that's the way it proved.
"Liverpool did plenty enough to win the game - probably enough to win four games - and then fate turned against them.
"[Adrian] did alright earlier in the season but he was a bit mixed even then and I think Klopp kind of knows that's been a weakness of Liverpool. Alisson getting injured twice in a season, that's not good actually.
"I think you'll find Liverpool, whenever they do go out to sign players, if it's this summer, they'll go out and sign a 'keeper, I'm pretty sure about that."
While reserve goalkeeper could be a position to strengthen, Alyson Rudd of the Times rejected the suggestion Liverpool need more options in attack. Liverpool have been linked with Timo Werner and Jadon Sancho but Rudd insists the front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane remain a great line-up for Klopp.
"It's unrealistic for Liverpool to have another fab three," she said. "Because Liverpool have had a blip people are looking for reasons and re-analysing what has gone before.
"I don't think when we come to the end of the season we'll look back and think Klopp has made too many mistakes with how he organised his squad."
