Liverpool won 4-2 in the Premier League against Bournemouth, but Jamie Carragher was not happy with one player in the fixture.
Despite making it hard for themselves, the Reds beat the Cherries in the Premier League opener. Some Liverpool players performed well against Bournemouth, others didn’t.
Florian Wirtz’s Premier League debut wasn’t exactly impressive, but Hugo Ekitike’s certainly was.
Amid all of this, one Liverpool player was worse than the rest. That was Ibrahima Konate.
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool applauds the fans as he warms up prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Ibrahima Konate was poor against Bournemouth
The Frenchman did not have his finest hour in Anfield. He was at fault for the second goal in particular, but his all-around game next to Virgil van Dijk was.
The Frenchman’s poor game was reflected in his stats.
Metric Value
Tackles won 0/0 (0%)
Blocks 1
Clearances 7
Headed clearance 5
Interceptions 0
Defensive contributions 8
Recoveries 5
Dribbled past 0
Fans were furious at the centre-back, but the damning verdict from a club legend was arguably worse.
After Antoine Semenyo’s second goal, Jamie Carragher could be heard on Sky Sports co-commentary saying that Konate had been “absolutely awful” tonight.
This raises the question: should Konate be guaranteed a spot in Liverpool’s starting XI?
Giovanni Leoni is ready for the Premier League
Giovanni Leoni wants game time at Liverpool and has shown in Italy that he is the real deal. Konate is not irreplaceable, and he proved this against Bournemouth.
Liverpool Unveil New Signing Giovanni Leoni
Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Amid a potential pursuit of Marc Guehi, Konate needs to watch his form. Granted, one poor performance in the Premier League won’t force Klopp to make a decision, but if it continues, there could be further repercussions.
Konate hasn’t signed a contract extension at Liverpool, meaning he is technically still playing for his place at Anfield – or potentially playing his way out of the club.
Slot can afford to drop him, with options waiting in the wings. He must perform as the Reds take on Newcastle next Monday.