Anfield legend Bruce Grobbelaar is a frequent critic of Simon Mignolet, and despite being asked by the club to stop slamming the Belgian in public, Grobbelaar has delivered his most withering assessment yet of Liverpool's much-maligned goalkeeper.
Last summer, Grobbelaar insisted that Mignolet is 'not the best all-round keeper', and offered the following four reasons why he needs to be replaced:
* Doesn't 'play out from the back' effectively
* 'Not commanding enough' in the penalty box.
* Positioning at free kicks is 'not right'.
* Concedes too many goals.
Grobbelaar further explained:
“A keeper should never be beaten – as he [Mignolet] has been – by a header from three yards out. Compare that to the number of goals Cech has conceded and that tells you the difference. The keeper coach has to work him harder."
When asked this week about 'brilliant' Mignolet, Grobbelaar scathed:
“[A top goalkeeper must be] good with his feet and and command [his] area. I’ve got a goalkeeper in Canada, a 24-year-old, who does this better than Mignolet does is just as good of a shotstopper. He is more of a package than Mignolet”.
Grobbelaar is currently the goalkeeping coach for Ottawa Fury F.C. (in the North American Soccer League), and he must be referring to Canadian 'stopper Marcel Debellis, who is the only 24-year old 'keeper on Ottawa's books. Debellis' description on the Ottawa Fury website:
"Spent 2008 with Benfica's U19 squad. Four years developing his game in Italy with Trento Calcio and Vincenza Calcio. Split the 2012/2013 season between Italian Fourth Division club AC Bellaria and Serie B side Ascoli".
At the age of 24, Debellis has made just ONE senior professional appearance, and is currently Fury's second choice goalkeeper. Perhaps Jurgen Klopp should sign him ;-)
Grobbelaar is entitled to his opinion, but with the greatest respect, I sincerely doubt that Klopp will be scouring the North American Soccer League (NASL) for potential recruits (!)
As for Grobbelaar - in my view, the club should respect the right of ex-players (and fans) to voice their opinions. There's nothing wrong with fair, specific criticism, and if Liverpool's pampered, mollycoddled playboys can't hack it, they can quit and let others (with stronger mentalities) come in and take their place.
Author: Jaimie K
Last summer, Grobbelaar insisted that Mignolet is 'not the best all-round keeper', and offered the following four reasons why he needs to be replaced:
* Doesn't 'play out from the back' effectively
* 'Not commanding enough' in the penalty box.
* Positioning at free kicks is 'not right'.
* Concedes too many goals.
Grobbelaar further explained:
“A keeper should never be beaten – as he [Mignolet] has been – by a header from three yards out. Compare that to the number of goals Cech has conceded and that tells you the difference. The keeper coach has to work him harder."
When asked this week about 'brilliant' Mignolet, Grobbelaar scathed:
“[A top goalkeeper must be] good with his feet and and command [his] area. I’ve got a goalkeeper in Canada, a 24-year-old, who does this better than Mignolet does is just as good of a shotstopper. He is more of a package than Mignolet”.
Grobbelaar is currently the goalkeeping coach for Ottawa Fury F.C. (in the North American Soccer League), and he must be referring to Canadian 'stopper Marcel Debellis, who is the only 24-year old 'keeper on Ottawa's books. Debellis' description on the Ottawa Fury website:
"Spent 2008 with Benfica's U19 squad. Four years developing his game in Italy with Trento Calcio and Vincenza Calcio. Split the 2012/2013 season between Italian Fourth Division club AC Bellaria and Serie B side Ascoli".
At the age of 24, Debellis has made just ONE senior professional appearance, and is currently Fury's second choice goalkeeper. Perhaps Jurgen Klopp should sign him ;-)
Grobbelaar is entitled to his opinion, but with the greatest respect, I sincerely doubt that Klopp will be scouring the North American Soccer League (NASL) for potential recruits (!)
As for Grobbelaar - in my view, the club should respect the right of ex-players (and fans) to voice their opinions. There's nothing wrong with fair, specific criticism, and if Liverpool's pampered, mollycoddled playboys can't hack it, they can quit and let others (with stronger mentalities) come in and take their place.
Author: Jaimie K
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