John Aldridge reflects on Liverpool's recent defensive performances and highlights which player needs a new contract in the second half of his weekly column
Alisson Becker
Alisson Becker
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The save Alisson made in the first half against Bournemouth was fantastic. That was their really only good opportunity, you have to say. It was a brilliant save.
He’s 34 next month. I just can't, for the sake of me, see why we haven't given him another contract. I just can't see it, why not?
Okay, he's a little bit injury-prone of late, but I just hope there's a deal at the end of the season rather than walk away for a free.
Kelleher went for £18m and that was the transfer of the season. I know we’ve got some good goalkeepers backing up, but goalies can play until a good age, we all know that.
Maybe they're waiting to see how he does this season. But I’ve spoken to a lot of the ex-players, and we'd all like to see him be given an extension.
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He’s not the only high-profile player out of contract, and we've already lost a team at Liverpool over the last two seasons.
You look at some of them who could go, and, with all due respect, they haven't had a massive impact - not like Alisson or Virgil. They've done really well for the club as squad members.
Now it's up to the new sporting director who comes in after Richard Hughes’ exit to sit down with the manager. The manager's got to assess them up to Christmas, and he's got to build a new squad, a new team - we know that - in the next few transfer markets.
We need two top teams. Some of these players, you might look at them and think "Well, it's peripheral at the moment, get through with them, use them in the cups." But then some of them are getting a bit older as well.
What's out there to enhance the squad? There's a lot to be dealt with, and the manager's got to assess. He's only just come in, he's only just got into the job and you can't rush into these decisions.
But I'm sure they'll know by the January window, where they're going to go - both then and next year.
Because in the January window for me, I think we'll need a signing. At least one signing, maybe possibly two, to end the season well.
And hopefully, when we get there, we're still in all the cups and in a decent league position to have a good run-in.
It was a good defensive performance against Bournemouth and you'd like to think the back four will get even better.
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Ronald Araujo has been a shrewd signing. He’s a good age, late 20s, and experienced. He's been around the block a couple of times. He's showing that defensively.
All right, going forward, because he's more of a centre-half, he looks ungainly at times, but he's not scared to join in. But defensively, he's done really well.
Jeremy Jacquet looks really good. Really good. I don’t want to say say real deal at the moment, but he looks like he's settled in really well with Virgil helping him along. And Kerkez did alright too.
We didn't give away too many chances. And the experience of Virgil and Araujo shone through.
I just think with Jacquet, I really like him but you just can't get entangled with players. That's his game. I know because he's played in midfield, sometimes they'll see that and they'll play on him, they'll play on back into him and play on him because he wants to win the ball.
But he's really young. A little bit inexperienced, but I really like him. I think he could become a firm fan-favourite. And the same is true of Araujo too, because of his no-nonsense style of play.
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The kids are alright
There's raw talent in Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas. I think what sticks out from a fan's point of view is you see how determined they are, how raw they are, but the determination.
They're going through a brick wall, running and not stopping running. And that's what the manager wants us to do from the front, and that's what they did.
The more noted players tend not to do that. They try to use their head. But we love that at Liverpool, and that's why people are taking to the kids.
They're chasing lost causes and running themselves into the ground, and you should be able to do that anyway. You can throw athletes on there to do that but you have still got to have the ability to do something with the ball.
We've always had that. That's what I was like, you look at Rushie and Peter Beardsley. We ran and never stopped. We kept on going and closing and running and running, and that's the least you can do.
You come off that pitch knowing that you have left everything on that pitch. And that's what you see, the youthfulness of what the kids are doing.
They played well against Tottenham. They've done really well, and they’re getting their chances in the league so we're all delighted with them.
Koumas is probably ahead of Chiesa now in the pecking order, when he comes back from injury. And Nyoni even came on ahead of Gravenberch at the weekend.
Look, Gravenberch has been struggling. Maybe it's because of the World Cup, I don't know, it shouldn't be. But he's struggled this season, like Mac Allister did last season.
Szoboszlai's not been at his best this season either. The goal against Tottenham was a stunner, but he had no World Cup. He’s yet to hit his proper form.
Gravenberch, let’s hope he comes back refreshed after the international break because he looks like there's a lot of weight on his shoulders.