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Mignolet – Evolution or Revolution?

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LFC keeperI’M not 100% sold on Mignolet to be honest.

Don’t get me wrong he’s a good keeper but if we’re talking about replacing Reina as opposed to competition for him then I can’t say that he was towards the top of my list.

However, Mignolet is 24, a good age for us to shape him the way we want him to be and for us to coach him to be the type of keeper we need.

Reina has had a pretty poor three years by his high standards. He improved towards the end of 2012/2013 but to me has been below par for too long. With our current state of no European football we aren’t in the league to attract the next Pepe Reina. We need to create them instead. And this is what we will try to do with Mignolet.

It’s going to be hard for him to change his ways, and this is where my biggest worry lies. Not distribution – which will be considerably shorter than under that footballing dinosaur at Sunderland for the majority of last season – but in terms of being a sweeper keeper.

There’s nobody better at it than Reina, his reading of the game is superb and he’s off his line in the blink of an eye. I reckon Pepe prevents about five goals a season by quickly getting off his line and snuffing danger out.

I just don’t see Mignolet being that type of keeper. He’s used to playing behind a defence that sits deep and are hard to get in behind. He’s a bit of a liner, someone who likes to let his defence deal with the problem if it exists within his penalty box.
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Whilst I have no issues with that, that’s not going to work for Liverpool. He needs to be ready to get on his bike and clear the danger when someone gets in behind. He needs to command his box and take control of the situation.

Reina may have waned considerably as time has gone by but he was always quick off his line and had a great presence and command of his penalty box. If Mignolet can become that type of keeper then he should be quality for us. His shot-stopping is very good, it’s up there with the best in the league. But I expect top flight goalkeepers to be good at shot stopping – it’s everything else that sets them aside.

Mignolet does make serious errors and does need to cut them out. Maybe it’s a sheer lack of concentration at times, I don’t know. But Reina isn’t exactly adverse to mistakes these days either, sadly. I really hope the Belgian becomes a very good goalkeeper. He has all the raw attributes to be, it just might take us some time to see him become what we need.

He will need work as all 24 year old goalkeepers do, but he is very, very good at making saves. Let’s hope we build on that and make the transition from Reina go as smoothly as we possibly can. Because no matter how poor his form has been at times, those are some big gloves to fill.
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I'm a fully trained journalist who shunned a career in the profession due to my disillusionment with the tabloid press, instead hoping to become a professional author. I've written for The Liverpool Way for 7 years and am a regular on the forum using the name Agt Provocateur.

A passionate member of supporter group Kop Faithful, I've been a season ticket holder of 8 years and a regular match goer since 1995.

When not criticising diminishing refereeing standards in football, I can be found at Langtree Park, the home of St Helens Rugby League Club being highly critical of non existent standards of refereeing in Rugby League. I'm is also a massive Lancashire and England cricket fan.

30 comments

  • stevieG says:

    I agree . If it’s competing with Reina then good signing.

    …but as I suspect its to replace Reina…then it’s a backward step. Not only is Reina class but he is a great character and a leader

    • mick says:

      Great leader really. Reina alwayssaying were not goodenough cos we don’t have the playrs. He never looks at his own performance. He never comes for crosses andis getting slower offthe line ma city away.

    • guest says:

      Agreed, not to mention the way he talks to the defence and organizes them, with Carra and Reina both gone(if Reina does go), I can see our defence struggling, even more so than last season.

  • Cou says:

    Mignolet has spent his whole life playing as a sweeper keeper prior to premier league. He will be fine. Also he makes very few mistakes, not sure where you got that from. He was amongst the best in the league last season for mistakes.

    • slim says:

      Exactly what I was thinking. Belgium plays the same style and Mignolet was a great passer in hs first season. We can’t blame him for not exhibiting a skill that was prohibited. Obviously he has a lot to learn but I believe he will offer us more than Reina even at the moment. Reina sweeps this moment and concedes silly goals later. The rubbish against ManCity away, was that sweeping goalkeeping or suicide?

  • gt says:

    I agree they are big gloves to fill but … “There’s nobody better at it than Reina, his reading of the game is superb and he’s off his line in the blink of an eye.”

    please don’t forget that reina also costs us points every season for coming off his line when he shouldn’t. Man city is a perfect example where he seemed to brainlessly run out to meet aguero and gift them an equalizer. this is the area where i feel he is weakest, when directly challenging players, either in the air or on the deck. against weaker opponents the pressure he can quickly apply by rushing an oncoming opponent can be effective at snuffing out an attack but against good opposition he is just giving them an opening to chip or go around him. in the air, well reina could do a lot to improve his stats in the air.

  • Samuel says:

    Reina is top class and will get better and better. If rein is sold this is a huge mistake as Mignolet is not as good

  • Higgs Boson says:

    Rodgers has already stated that Mignolet is compition for Reina and this coupled with the fact that Victor Valdes has decided to stay with Barca for another season indicates that it’s ‘evolution rather than revolution’. However, on the counter, £9m it’s a lot of money to spend on a back up keeper. It’s also strange for Mignolet to make this decision as he’ll need to be playing regularly in the lead up to a world cup year.
    In conclusion from these I think Reina will remain at Liverpool this season but will leave at the end of the season to replace Valdes at Barca. Mignolet will then become Liverpool’s Keeper and that’s why he accepted the move. If Reina improves from the compition then Barca will need to pay more and this could benifit Liverpool on both counts. Is my theory mad or what? 🙂

    • Eoin says:

      I can’t believe anyone would believe a word out of brendas mouth.

      And do u really think our hungry owners would spend 10m on a sub keeper ? No . Reina is up for sale without doubt

      • Higgs Boson says:

        Why? What has he lied about in the past that has been proven?

        • Eoin says:

          “I would be mad to let Andy Carroll leave”
          “Andy Carroll will not be going out on loan”
          “I insist on full control” …ahem transfer committee
          The whole 3 envelopes bull
          “we were outstanding” after every poor performance.

          Just a few of the many lies Rodgers has spouted

        • guest says:

          One of the first statements he came out with when he got the job was a lie, IE, saying he would “not” be selling or loaning “Carroll” out, claiming he would be “crazy to do so”, then soon after, Carroll went on loan, leaving us woefully short. Rodgers is a mouth piece, surely even the dumbest fans know this, deep down.

    • guest says:

      I would take anything our manager says with a pinch of salt, he says a lot of things that don’t materialise.

      • CHUKWUEMEKA says:

        Love you guys esp higgs for accepting correction. i wld jst want to add that one of his biggest lies if not the biggest is that “we are a midtable or average team and as such cant attract top class players, finishing above kenny without a silverware is an improvement, we ve played better football than the previous seasons, jonjo+£9mil<joe allen" etc

  • tapiwa says:

    reina cost us many points i thnk its the tym 2 gave mignolet a chance 2 prove himself dnt ever try reina coz we will end up regreting

  • lawrence says:

    If De Gea replaced Van Der Sar then I believe Mignolet can replace Reina.

  • Makintosh says:

    Mignolet is a gud catch but who cares about who starts as No 1 long as he save goals from entering d net. Am nt d coach neither r u, let d brendan do his job

    • guest says:

      “Let Brendan do his job”, I only wish he would, less talking more action, I just think he talks a good job, better than he can put into practice…….All the time.

  • Damon says:

    Reina is sh!t, period. And he has been for 3 seasons now. He has cost us many points and is simply not good enough anymore. He get beaten at his near post, get off his line when he should not( remember Agueros goal?), is very weak at catching crosses and also in corners. His reflexes are not as they were before and he no longer saves penalties. Also he is on huge wages. Conclusion: He should step down and let Mignolet do the job now. Reina should only be used in cups and sold next season.

  • juan says:

    Let BR do his job.

  • CHUKWUEMEKA says:

    Love you guys esp higgs for accepting correction. i wld jst want to add that one of his biggest lies if not the biggest is that “we are a midtable or average team and as such cant attract top class players, finishing above kenny without a silverware is an improvement, we ve played better football than the previous seasons, jonjo+£9mil<joe allen" etc

  • David Tobin says:

    Reina is better . But Rodgers will pick mignolet as he always plays his favourites ..ie Allen borini even when there are better players available

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