Is Mignolet Good Enough For Liverpool?
By Paul Drake
The keeper debate at Anfield earlier this season seemed never-ending but the dust has settled and Simon Mignolet has taken over between the posts, only to recently kick up the dust again. So, is Mignolet a better goalkeeper than Loris Karius?
Mignolet has appeared in 14 of Liverpool’s 24 matches this season in the Premier League. Keeping only three clean sheets, places him on par with the same amount as his fellow Liverpool goalkeeper, Loris Karius. Mignolet sports a pass accuracy of 70% and concedes 1.29 goals per game. The question comes to mind, is Simon Mignolet a good enough keeper for Liverpool?
Match Breakdown
It is not unknown to Liverpool fans just how bad the clubs January has been, it has been horrible. Liverpool own a record of 1 win, 4 loses, and 4 draws across all competitions. Plus, over the 14 matches Mignolet has started in the Premier League this season, he holds a records of 7 wins, 3 loses, and 4 draws.
Now, you might say that is a pretty good record but when looking closer at when these results fall on the calendar, it reveals that since January 2nd Liverpool have a record of 0 wins, 2 loses, and 3 draws in the Premier League. That is not something to be proud of… at all. Of course this does not ride entirely on the back on the keeper, rather there are bigger issues that need addressing, namely creativity in the midfield, but that is a topic of another article.
Here is how January breaks down for Mignolet.
Date |
Result
Performance Score
Jan. 2nd
Sunderland 2 – 2 Liverpool
2
Jan. 15
Man United 1 – 1 Liverpool
4
Jan. 21
Liverpool 2 – 3 Swansea City
-31
Jan. 31
Liverpool 1 – 1 Chelsea
1
Feb. 4
Hull City 2 – 2 Liverpool
-33
Comparing Mignolet and Karius
Now, let’s compare Mignolet to the only other viable option for Klopp this season, Loris Karius. Klopp brought Karius in over the summer with some fan-fair around a second keeper because of Mignolet’s inconsistency last season. In the Premier League this season, Karius has made 10 appearances posting a performance score of 31. Fans have seen his highs, the clean sheet in Sunderland match and his lows in the Bournemouth disaster. Like Mignolet, Karius too owns 3 clean sheets and a slightly less impressive 68% passing accuracy.
Here is how Mignolet and Karius compare statistically.
Mignolet |
Karius
Difference
Clean Sheets
3
3
0
Avg. Goals Conceded
1.29
1.20
-.09
Avg. Saves per game
1.50
1.40
+.10
Avg. Saves per goal
1.17
1.17
0
Avg. Claim Success
84%
75%
+9%
Avg. Punches
29%
30%
-1%
Distribution Success
72%
69%
+3%
As you can see Mignolet is really only marginally better than Karius in Premier League competitions this season. Something to note is where the average goals conceded originate from for each keeper.
Mignolet – 61% open play, 11% corners, 5.6% free kicks
Karius – 50% open play, 25% corners, 8.3% free kicks
Defending set pieces is crucial to a keepers success and Liverpool’s two men between the posts don’t defend them very well. Ideally, goals should come from open play not set pieces. Of course Liverpool’s defense has not set either goalkeeper up for great success. Overall, Mignolet is still only slightly better than Karius.
Versus The League
When comparing Mignolet to the rest of the Premier League the keeper situation at Liverpool becomes even bleaker. I compared only goalkeepers with the same or more appearances to Mignolet. Hopefully this gives a more apples to apples comparison.
Goalkeeper |
Team
Performance Score
Courtois
Chelsea
491
Lloris
Tottenham
464
Grant
Stoke City
392
Pickford
Sunderland
324
Randolph
West Ham
264
Cech
Arsenal
262
de Gea
Man United
232
Heaton
Burnley
189
Foster
West Brom
166
Gomes
Watford
147
Valdes
Middlesbrough
118
Mignolet
Liverpool
101
It is clear, Mignolet is last in the top 12 goalkeepers of the Premier League this season… That is simply not good enough for Liverpool or for any team to be top of the table in the Premier League.
A Below Average Conclusion
Mignolet is a below average keeper when compared to the rest of the Premier League and just marginally better than Loris Karius. It is difficult for Liverpool fans to see Mignolet make fantastic saves against the likes of Diego Costa, but then give up silly goals to the likes of Swansea. Mignolet is fine for now. Maybe he will improve? Maybe he won’t?
Overall, Liverpool should look to address their keeper and defense situation this summer. Especially if they qualify for European football. Going up against Europe’s best will prove more difficult a test than the likes of the Premier League this season.
All statistical information from Squawka.com