Ibrahima Konate has been criticised at times this season for his Liverpool form - but one former France international believes that has been unfair on the Reds defender
Ibrahima Konate has been regyularly criticised this season
Ibrahima Konate has been regyularly criticised this season
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Ibrahima Konate is being unfairly singled out for Liverpool criticism according to the former Arsenal, Manchester City and France defender Bacary Sagna, who says the Reds No.5 cannot be definitively judged on this season's performances alone.
Konate, who joined the club from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021, is out of contract at the end of the season and can speak to clubs outside of England about a pre-contract agreement in January to join as a free agent at the end of the campaign.
But despite speculation linking Real Madrid with a move, the Les Bleus defender has endured a mixed campaign so far, featuring prominently for a team who have lost six of the last seven in the Premier League. Saturday's 3-0 reverse to Nottingham Forest means the champions now find themselves 11 points behind leaders Arsenal, who extended their advantage with a 4-1 shelling of Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's North London derby.
Sagna believes Konate is being scapegoated for Liverpool's awful form, saying the centre-back does not deserve some of the criticism that has come his way in recent weeks.
“Ibrahima Konate is not to blame for Liverpool’s recent performances,” Sagna told Oddspedia. “The edge of the Liverpool penalty area is never covered, and we saw it again against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
"You can’t make judgments about Konate’s quality just based off a few games when the midfield isn’t doing their job from a defensive standpoint.“For Nottingham Forest’s second and third goals on Saturday, there was no cover from the Liverpool midfield to track the goalscorer. If you give your man a yard in the penalty area in the Premier League, then you will be punished.
"I don’t want to blame Konate or any of the defenders for this because they need more help from the rest of the team."
Arne Slot's future as head coach has come into question as a result of the last few months but Sagna, who played for Arsenal and Manchester City between the years of 2007 and 2017, does not subscribe to the idea that the Reds boss could be relieved of his duties. Sagna added: “I don’t think Arne Slot’s job is under any threat. He just won the Premier League with Liverpool a few months ago! It’s been a difficult few months for the team mentally and physically, but I firmly believe he deserves time to turn things around. “For me, Slot is the right man to be in charge of Liverpool and to guide them through this period. "The season was badly affected from the start when Diogo Jota passed away, which would have really affected all of them. When you win games, it’s easier to deal with it, but when you lose, it can become a problem.“I know football isn’t always fair and you’re judged on results, but I don’t think changing coaches is the right move for Liverpool in this moment in time.”