As Anfield, almost to a man, collectively roared when Roberto Firmino finally broke his goal drought at the stadium to put Liverpool 2-0 up in the early stages of extra time last night, the pendulum certainly seemed to be swinging the Reds’ way as regards progression to the Champions League quarter-finals.
The roar had barely subsided, though, when Adrian swiped at the ball in front of The Kop and delivered it straight to Joao Felix, who in turn fed Marcos Llorente to hammer it past the Liverpool goalkeeper and give Atletico Madrid an away goals advantage that would ultimately be surplus to requirements as they duly scored twice more to win the match 3-2 and the tie 4-2 on aggregate.
For the 33-year-old netminder, holding the fort in the absence of the injured first choice Alisson, the inevitable feeling of self-reflection must have been all too familiar – it had only been eight days since a handling error gifted Chelsea their opening goal in a 2-0 FA Cup victory at Stamford Bridge. Two mistakes by the Spaniard ended up playing a significant part in his team exiting two knockout competitions in little more than a week.
The outcry was swift and unforgiving. Some individuals pertaining to be Liverpool fans roundly abused him on Twitter after he was man enough to place his disappointment on public record, while others called for Andy Lonergan to take his place in goals for Monday night’s Merseyside derby against Everton.
The case for taking Adrian out of the firing line are understandable, given that he has been culpable of fateful errors of late and has shipped six goals in his three appearances since Alisson’s injury (for the record, the Brazilian has an identical concession rate from his three most recent outings). However, this is a time when Jurgen Klopp needs to stand by the 33-year-old and make it clear that he continues to have his backing.
The sight of a goalkeeper being the recipient of unjustifiable vitriol following a high-profile error on the European stage is one with which Liverpool fans are all too familiar, with less than two full years elapsing since Loris Karius was subjected to death threats over his kamikaze display in the Champions League final in Kiev. The German’s fortunes haven’t much improved since, with him being guilty of further errors on loan at Besiktas this season, but one hopes that a similar fate won’t befall Adrian.
Let’s not forget that the Spaniard was thrown into the breach back in August after Alisson incurred a calf injury on the opening day of the Premier League and duly played in eight consecutive Premier League wins, as well as producing the match-winning penalty save in the UEFA Super Cup shoot-out against Chelsea.
Dropping him for the derby on Monday would be a risky knee-jerk move from Klopp. For all his experience, 36-year-old Lonergan hasn’t played any football since last season and was out of contract last summer after being released by Championship outfit Middlesbrough. With no disrespect intended to the Teessiders, is that an ideal recipe for a goalkeeper to be called in from the cold to play in a derby fixture that Liverpool have won just once in the previous seven seasons? Also, it could hardly do wonders for Adrian’s confidence if he is benched in favour of a ‘keeper who was only signed with the short-term in mind after an injury crisis seven months ago – then, as now, Caoimhin Kelleher was also sidelined.
Liverpool may be close to wrapping up the Premier League title but, following four defeats in their last six games in all competitions and with coronavirus leading to the postponement of Serie A and La Liga, the importance of Monday’s derby cannot be understated. The Reds need to eliminate any uncertainty about becoming league champions at the earliest opportunity should external circumstances deny them a crown that, up to this point, they will have richly earned.
Whatever the risk of playing Adrian at Goodison Park following his recent errors, it seems a bigger risk to gamble on a goalkeeper who hasn’t played in almost a full year and remains a Premier League virgin for a fixture which carries undoubted significance for a Liverpool team in need of a pick-me-up following three damaging weeks.
Liverpool fans, should Klopp keep faith in Adrian for the derby or does he need to be ruthless and drop him in favour of Lonergan? Share your views in the comments section below!
