Loris Karius’ performance in the last Champions League final will not soon be forgotten. In fact, clips of his two horrendous errors in the match will be wheeled out time and time again for the rest of his career. It doesn’t really matter, in a sense, what Karius does next because he will never fully escape that night in Kiev.
As a man, Karius will move on and be able to put his errors behind him. As a goalkeeper though, it’ll take something very, very special for Karius to usurp that match as the footballing world’s abiding memory of his time between the sticks.
That aside, Karius’ career goes on and he has big decisions to make. The arrival of Alisson at Anfield without doubt marks the end of the 25-year-old’s time as the first choice shot-stopper in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
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The German’s decision to remain with the Reds as the back up option must be questioned. Both the best thing at this stage of his career, and the best thing he can do to move on from that Champions League fixture, is to now move elsewhere for a fresh start. Surely?
Or, in fact, is staying tucked beneath the wing of Klopp the wisest course of action for Karius to take at this juncture? The charismatic manager is renowned for his interpersonal style and the affectionate, paternal relationships he forges with his players. A character such as Klopp, who will protect and nurse Karius through this period, might be exactly the kind of figure the young ‘keeper should be sticking with.
The trials and tribulations of other goalkeepers who have made huge mistakes could provide some sort of guide to Karius at this time.
In 2007, Scott Carson appeared in his first competitive England fixture in a crucial European Championships qualifier against Croatia. Carson, himself on the books at Liverpool at the time, was culpable for one of the Croatians’ goals and England’s defeat saw the Three Lions fail to qualify for the tournament and got boss Steve McClaren the sack.
Carson only appeared twice more for England, both times in friendly matches and both times as a substitute. He never played for Liverpool again either, though he had never been first choice at Anfield. He left Liverpool in the summer following his international howler.
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Carson was able to carve out a decent career as a first choice option at Premier League and Championship level.
In moving on from his club, Carson managed to find his own level and establish himself as a No. 1.
This is a path that Karius should have considered following this summer. As good an influence as Klopp may be, the manager’s priority is the success of his football club, and the young ‘keeper can’t allow his career to stagnate on the subs’ bench.
If Karius had pushed for a move this summer, it’s hard to imagine that the Liverpool hierarchy would have stood in his way. Now though, with no more opportunity for reinforcements to be brought in, and Danny Ward having already left the club, Karius must be retained to provide squad depth.
Getting back to playing regular football quickly would likely have been the smartest move for Karius to make in order to restore his confidence. Wallowing as Alisson’s stand in, even if only for one season, will only serve to reinforce to Karius how far he’s fallen, and will do nothing to restore his reputation.
Rather than following the guide of Carson’s career path, Karius is setting himself up to repeat the mistakes of Peter Enckelman.
After making a huge goal-conceding error as an Aston Villa player, in the derby against Birmingham City, the Villans decided to upgrade in the goalkeeping department that summer. Enckelman remained at the club for another season, as a back up option. Aside from during a one-month loan spell at Blackburn, he didn’t play a single game.
It was nearly a decade, and three clubs later, before Enckelman made himself a first choice ‘keeper again – with St Johnstone in Scotland.
Following his mistake, Enckelman found himself as a back up option and found the situation almost inescapable. By staying at Liverpool, Karius may have just sealed the same fate for himself.
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