Four realistic replacement options for Mignolet at Liverpool

Rush The Kop looks at four realistic upgrades at the goalkeeper position for Liverpool.

Spoiler: it’s, obviously, not quite hard to upgrade on Simon Mignolet. Unless your name is Adam Bogdan.

I used to be of the opinion that Mignolet was never going to be a world class goalkeeper, but he’d be able to kick it in the Champions League, unless the intent seriously winning that trophy. That’s not in the cards for Liverpool at this juncture. Persistent qualification is the goal and it seemed Mignolet was at least adequate in that endeavor.

Wrong.

It’s difficult to get into a game, to play with confidence with Mignolet being the last line of defense in the prevention of a goal in a sport in which goals are hard to come by. This stat, in particular, has resonated with me. You need not look further in an anti-Mignolet rant than this stat.

It’s absolutely incredible.

Liverpool enjoyed success in 2013/14 because they destroyed teams in the first half. They almost always scored first with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge feasting on defenders from the absolute first second. Playing with a lead is much, much easier than playing from behind.

And there’s no way to quantify how momentum affects football, there’s no way to quantify how having no confidence in your keeper affects the way the team plays. There’s also no way to quantify the anxiety conceding a corner kick incites, either.

So Liverpool need to upgrade their goalie. It’s painfully obvious.

Rush The Kop looks at four potential upgrades, though there’s about a million keepers that’d fit that description.

Next: 4.