He may only be four games into his Liverpool career, but German goalkeeper Loris Karius has struggled, yet there is still no need to panic. Calls for the usually unpopular Simon Mignolet to replace him for the Manchester United game were not heeded, but the simple fact that they were there shows the current lack of confidence in the stands.
His opposite number on Monday, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, David de Gea, had a similarly difficult time at the start of his career in England, but was given the chance to improve. Karius must have the same opportunity.
It is not unusual for foreign players, particularly goalkeepers, to find a culture shock when entering the Premier League. Claudio Bravo has discovered that this year, whilst there have been numerous examples before. The sheer physicality can be difficult to adjust to and sometimes take a number of months.
Karius only arrived from Mainz in the summer for a modest fee of less than £5m. The price-tag is not the issue, but moving to a new country and a much bigger team has been. He was injured for a period and immediately came into the team when fit, showing Jurgen Klopp’s confidence in him. He clearly sees something more in him than he does Mignolet.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Karius will get to the same level as De Gea – in fact, it is unlikely that he will, given how high that level is – but the point is that there is ample time to improve. Mignolet has bulked up considerably over his Liverpool career and had started to come for crosses much more. A similar improvement in Karius is necessary, but it cannot be done overnight.
Being patient is not always easy in football, yet there are numerous examples, chiefly De Gea, but also the likes of Hugo Lloris, that have come good over time. An adjustment period is needed for the young German... he needs more time than he has been given.
Getting on his back will only add to the issue. Confidence can only be gained over time.
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