Klopp happy with Karius’ start, but demands improvement

Mark Scott

Liverpool’s new first-choice goalkeeper Loris Karius has been backed to adapt to life in the Premier League by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

The 23-year-old German has been preferred to Simon Mignolet for the previous four fixtures and has endured some hairy moments, notably struggling with high balls into the box and surviving a misplaced pass to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba on Monday.

West Brom manager Tony Pulis will surely have taken notice of the weaknesses Karius has displayed so far and there may be several aerial tests coming his way at Anfield this weekend.

However, Klopp is content with Karius’ early displays and will not discourage him from altering his distribution style in a week where that aspect of a keeper’s game again came under the microscope following Claudio Bravo’s Barcelona gaffe.

“He’s had a very good start,” Klopp said of Karius.

“We watched him for a long time, especially in the last two years in the Bundesliga. He was outstanding but he is still a young boy, for a goalkeeper especially. He collected experience but this is of course something else here in the Premier League.

“It’s a different kind of play in general in the Premier League and style of play in our specific case.

“Of course he has to improve and he can improve but with the start I feel quite comfortable, I think it’s good. It was not perfect but there was one situation with Dejan (Lovren) together with the passing, but things like this happen and more serious things like this happen for other goalkeepers that are more experienced.

“If you want a goalkeeper who plays football then you take the risks that sometimes the ball is bouncing in a different way. Everything’s okay.”