Jurgen Klopp, not Loris Karius, to blame for Liverpool’s Champions League blunders

Jurgen Klopp, not Loris Karius, to blame for Liverpool’s Champions League blunders

Fingers have, and will continue (within good reason) to be pointed at goalkeeper Loris Karius for Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday.

The German’s duo of errors – alongside what surely was the greatest goal in Champions League history from Gareth Bale – without a doubt cost Jurgen Klopp’s men on the night.

After a solid first-half, a moment of madness from the 24-year-old, in which he attempted to throw the ball out from his own box with Karim Benzema in unsafe proximity, gifted Madrid the lead. Benzema’s wishful attempt to stick out his foot to block Karius’ throw paid dividends – the ball coming straight back off the Frenchman’s flailing leg and into an empty net.

Liverpool’s Man of the Match Sadio Mane levelled the scoring shortly after, before Gareth Bale’s stunning overhead kick on 64 minutes restored the lead for Zinedine Zidane’s side. Karius could do nothing about the Welshman’s stunner – but his worst moment was yet to come.

With seven minutes left to play and Liverpool pushing for a winner, Bale picked the ball-up 40-yards out. He tried a speculative effort at goal – with likely very little hope it would find the net.

That hope turned to a second goal for the Wales star however, as Karius’ attempted parry deflected off his clenched fists – his wrists too weak to manage the power of Bale’s effort – and again into his net.

The keeper didn’t slap the floor in anger, nor did he try to point fingers at his team-mates for not closing down Bale quick enough. The guilt on his face was evident, for he knew he was at fault, and he knew how costly the error was. Liverpool’s Champions League dream had come to an abrupt end.

His guilt surged at the final whistle – tears and apologies the only thing the German could muster as Jamie Carragher consoled him. And those emotions snowballed in the hours after, the young keeper issuing apology after apology for his mistakes via his social media. Death threats followed from the abhorrent and the weak. Police are investigating the guilty parties, and rightly so.

Karius is, in some respects, right to feel guilty for his performance and his mistakes. After all, the 24-year-old is paid a hefty sum each week to protect the ball from going past him.

Guilt he should feel. But blame? No chance. That instead lies with Jurgen Klopp.

Much has been said about the Liverpool boss’ less-than-poor record in major finals – he’s lost all of the last six he’s been in.

So what is it that lets him down? Bad luck. Perhaps. Not a strong enough side. Also, perhaps. Poor decisions when it comes to the team-sheet? Undoubtedly.

In the 2014 German Cup defeat to Bayern Munich, the then Borussia Dortmund manager chose to start Robert Lewandowski, despite the fact he had already agreed to join their opponents in the final that summer. The Pole didn’t turn up for the occasion – his mind clearly elsewhere.

In 2016 against Sevilla in the Europa League final (this time as Liverpool manager), Klopp started left-back Alberto Moreno, who had put in a woeful performance in the previous round versus Villarreal. Moreno’s error in the second-half let Sevilla back in the game, who quickly found the net twice again after to record a 3-1 win.

In 2018, Klopp chose to start Loris Karius in goal – a keeper who had produced errors leading to goals in both the quarter and semi-finals against Manchester City and Roma respectively. This time around, Madrid, bigger and better opposition, were not so forgiving.

But it hasn’t been just this season, nor this competition, that Karius’ errors have cost Klopp’s men. Too often in the Premier League has the German produced a blunder that has cost his side – mistakes against both West Brom and Bournemouth spring to mind.

Jurgen Klopp’s failure to recognise the signs of a young keeper who simply cannot cope under pressure are what cost his side on the night, not Karius’ performance – however poor it was.

Karius is now expected to leave Liverpool this summer after a potentially career destroying night in Kiev.

Should Klopp have assessed his options more throughly, perhaps Saturday night may have just turned out very differently for both club and player.

Barnaby Lane

Barnaby Lane

...