It’s not often in soccer that the quality of a player’s performance will have no bearing on whether they keep their place in the team.
If a striker comes off the bench and scores a hat-trick, they will expect to be named in the starting line-up for the next game. The goalkeeper position is a little different; at most clubs, there is a defined No.1. At Liverpool, that is Alisson Becker, and Arne Slot has made that clear on more than one occasion this season.
Alisson has missed more games than he’s played in this term due to injury, and Caoimhin Kelleher has been outstanding in his absence – particularly in the last two matches, saving a penalty in both.However, Slot reiterated ahead of Sunday’s game against Manchester City that, as soon as Alisson returns to full fitness, Kelleher will be back on the bench.“I think every decision I have to make is a difficult one, because we have so many quality players,” Slot said, speaking immediately after Kelleher denied Kylian Mbappe from the spot in Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Real Madrid.
“I’ve been clear about that situation but tonight shouldn’t be about that, it should be about Caoimhin being so important for us.
“It was a big moment for him, a special moment for him. So, let that be the headlines and not the other thing I was quite clear about one or two weeks ago.”
The thing that Slot was clear about one or two weeks ago was that Alisson would be returning to the team upon recovering from injury. “First of all, Alisson needs to become fit and I’ve always been quite clear and that’s always been the position of Alisson that he is, and will be, our first goalkeeper if he is fit,” Slot said prior to the international break.
“But therefore he first needs to be it, but Caoimhin [Kelleher] has done outstanding last season and this season again as well. But the moment Alisson will be fit he will be our first goalkeeper.”
Liverpool fans will no doubt have contrasting views on the matter, but there’s only one view that will play out in reality — and that’s Slot’s.
