He’s been Jurgen Klopp’s number one so far this Premier League season but Simon Mignolet should now be dropped to the bench, according to former Reds goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.
As reported by The Mirror, Kirkland has claimed Mignolet’s decision to play out from the back cost Lucas Leiva when making the mistake that led to Jamie Vardy’s goal at Anfield last weekend.
With the Reds facing a huge Friday night fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Kirkland believes £4.7 million summer arrival Loris Karius should receive his Liverpool debut at the end of the week.
Defiant in his views when speaking to Neil Mellor on the 5TimesPodcast, Kirkland said: “There’s so much made now about playing out from the back, which I understand.
Kirkland himself only made 25 Premier League appearances for the Reds between 2001 and 2006 but his Anfield career was blighted by injuries.
German goalkeeper Karius has been missing so far this season due to breaking a bone in his hand but the former Mainz man was an unused substitute against Leicester City last time out.
With Simon Mignolet having been cast into a role whereby few Liverpool supporters trust him given a catalogue of errors since signing in 2013, Kirkland just isn’t a fan of his risk taking.
“I don’t care if you’re four, five-nil up, whatever, it’s taking unnecessary risks and you might get away with it a few times but you’re always going to get caught with it,” continued Kirkland.