Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp may have taken a cheeky jab at under fire goalkeeper Simon Mignolet after the Belgian’s gaffe against French side Bordeaux cost the Reds a goal in the Europa Leauge last week, but the German manager has insisted that he’s not looking to replace the former Sunderland shot-stopper despite a the media peddling a plethora of stories to the contrary.
“It is a good moment to talk about the goalkeepers at Liverpool,” said the German boss in the build-up to the League Cup quarter-final meeting with Southampton tomorrow. “I am absolutely satisfied with our goalkeeping situation. I am sorry to kill your stories about German goalkeepers and goalkeepers from Stoke,” he joked, taking a familiar sarcastic tone. “We are not looking for another goalkeeper,” he continued, before adding, “We have enough high-quality goalkeepers, I’ve had a lot of goalkeepers over last few years and Simon Mignolet is one of the smartest I have ever had.”
The Reds have been linked with a host of goalkeepers over the last two years with Stoke City’s Jack Butland the latest name to emerge as a potential replacement for Mignolet. Ex-players and pundits alike have been highly critical of the Belgian in the past and have regularly predicated that he’d be replaced in the near future — a theory that Klopp doesn’t seem to be buying into.
“He is completely open and he’s young enough to develop, to improve. He’s not had the easiest situation before I came here, but since I have been here there has been nothing to criticise, absolutely nothing. He’s a good football player,” enthused the Reds boss. “Everyone is watching for a second Manuel Neuer [the Bayern Munich and Germany keeper] or something, but he is in a really good way. We just have to learn as a team to give the ball to the keeper in the right situation,” he explained. “Our goalkeeping situation is a comfortable one and I hope it stays like this.”
