Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James exclusively speaks to the ECHO about the Reds goalkeeping department
Alisson (left) has new competition in the form of Giorgi Mamardashvili (right)
View Image
In a summer of enormous transition, no department encapsulated it more than the goalkeeping one at Liverpool. After a number of seasons as Alisson Becker's deputy, out went Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford in an £18m deal, to make way for the £30m addition of Giorgi Mamardashvili.
To supplement the arrival of Georgia international Mamardashvili, who moved from Valencia having had the agreement in place from the previous summer, Liverpool swooped to add Freddie Woodman to their ranks from Preston North End on a free transfer to bolster the homegrown quota. Armin Pecsi was also brought in from Puskas Akademia with one eye on the future. The young Hungarian signed for around £1.3m and has been in the academy ranks so far.
On the coaching staff, Fabian Otte was replaced after one season at the club, by Spaniard Xavi Valero, who returned to Anfield for his second stint at the club, after working with Rafa Benitez in the late 00s.
It's been all change but the presence of the peerless Alisson at least provides the goalkeeping situation with some continuity and quality.
Now in his eighth season on Merseyside, the Brazil international has a body of work behind him that compares with the goalkeeping greats of yesteryear at Anfield. But as a two-time Premier League winner who helped bring home a sixth European Cup within 12 months of his arrival from Roma, where exactly does he rank in that esteemed list?
“I'm an Alisson fanboy, so he's got to be up there," former Liverpool goalkeeper David James tells the ECHO. "The difficulty is comparison. Ray Clemence, obviously, won everything [but] the rules were very, very different back then. There was a lot going in his favour, but they were playing more games as well. I think it was 16 goals conceded in one season. It was ridiculous. Ray Clemence, I think he deserves a place at the top.
“But then you've got Bruce Grobbelaar, who brought a completely different style of goalkeeping to English football. Again, very successful in winning everything. And then obviously with Alisson, he's up there winning the Champions League and winning the Premier League twice. Again, in a more modern context, having to do different things.
"I think with Alisson, he’s just got everything. His timing has been well documented in one-on-one situations, I think he excels more so than any other goalkeeper. So to say one is literally better than the other would be very, very difficult to say. I think the easiest way of putting it is, if you put any of those goalkeepers in different eras, would they still be able to handle it? And I think it's a big yes for all of them."
The task of usurping Alisson is a difficult one then for Mamardashvili but while the 25-year-old has been signed with a view to a world beyond the current No.1 at Anfield, the confident shot-stopper has designs on staking his claim here and now. As fate would have it, Mamardashvili has had that opportunity, playing 10 times while his more senior colleague recovered from a muscle injury and then illness.
"He could be top," James, who made 214 of his 572 Premier League appearances for the Reds, says. "He's got all the attributes. Everything that Liverpool would want as a challenger to Alisson in the first place, and obviously as a replacement, possibly, in the second case.
“He's got very good distribution. He was very unfortunate against Manchester United, I mean, the throw from Dominik (Szoboszlai) was not kind, which led to the corner for the second goal, but generally, his distribution is good, he looks calm, good hands, likes to throw.
"One of the things I like is how he likes to throw the ball out when he gets the opportunity, so yeah, he could be right up there. But he's playing for Liverpool, and as I say the start that he's had is a challenge because playing for Liverpool is a very big deal, but he will overcome nerves and the bedding in period and as I say, he'll end up being a top goalkeeper.”
Former England No.1 James adds: "I think there was a very wonderful situation for Liverpool at the end of last season, where they had Kelleher coming in and playing exceptionally well. Obviously, Alisson, who is one of the best, if not the best, goalkeeper in the world at that time, and Mamardashvili out on loan, I think they were in a lovely position because you had three top goalkeepers.
"Mamardashvili would have been brought in with that in mind, I'm sure. Not that Alisson couldn't play late into his 30s or even into his 40s, but with the injury record, as it is at the moment, there was always a suggestion that that would continue."
Such is the respect for Alisson within the corridors of power at Anfield that he was consulted on the plan for Mamardashvili prior to Liverpool making their move for the Georgian in the summer of 2024. Alisson gave his expert opinion and was understanding of the club's determination to future-proof their goalkeeping department.
But having turned 33 two days before Mamardashvili's Premier League debut came in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on October 4, how long can the vaunted Brazilian go on at the top level? For James, who played in the Premier League for close two decades, goalkeepers are aided by the protection now afforded to them.
He says: “If you look at longevity records in the Premier League, for example, I think it's just me and Mark Schwarzer who are in that top 10, 500 club, and a lot of them are outfield players like James Milner.
“The demands on goalkeepers, I think, have changed again through the evolution of football. I go back to Ray Clemence or even Bruce and myself, when I first started playing, it was quite common for goalkeepers to get smashed and knocked about a lot, which would seem fair game in football by referees, or the rules or however you want to put it.
“Whereas now, there's a lot more protection. However, the requirements of goalkeepers is that they have to be fitter. And I think this is where, and I've seen it numerous times, you see goalkeepers breaking down because the actual training that they're being put through pushes them to the limit. Any kind of twinge, and you could probably end up missing games.
"Can Alisson [play into his 40s]? I genuinely hope so, because he is such a fantastic goalkeeper and you want to see fantastic goalkeepers playing. From a Liverpool perspective, as I say, with Mamardashvili there, if he reaches the heights that I think he's capable of, then Alisson not being there won't be because he's not good enough; it'll be that Mamardashvili has exceeded Alisson capabilities, and we'll probably have to see Allison playing somewhere else.
“But hopefully the injuries can get sorted out, and we can see him playing into his 30s and 40s. Hopefully, he doesn't break any of my records with regards to clean sheets. If he does, it's because he's excellent. So I look forward to seeing that.”