Legendary Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar has been Simon Mignolet’s most prominent and public critic, but it now seems the Zimbabwean is directing his anger at his coach instead!
John Achterberg has been Liverpool’s goalkeeping coach since 2011, but according to Grobbelaar, he’s the man to blame for Mignolet’s perceived inability to use his feet properly.
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“At the moment, they (Liverpool) have a goalkeeper who has been criticised by me quite often, but now I am going to stop my criticism of him,” he began.
“That is because I now know who the true person to blame is. Two years ago I said Mignolet is a great shot-stopper but not the full package, meaning he is not too good with his feet and he doesn’t command his area right. Two years later he is still doing the same, which means it is not Mignolet’s fault but the person who is coaching him. From now on in, he (Achterberg) is the one I’m going to look at. If he can’t right Mignolet’s wrongs in two years, then he shouldn’t be there. Mignolet can become Liverpool’s long-term No.1 if he is coached properly.”
Even more oddly, Grobbelaar then threw his hat into the ring, offering to sort out the ‘problem’ himself!
“I’ve never been asked (about taking the job), but if an offer came along I’d have to have a look it, like anyone would.”
Grobbelaar currently works as a coach at Ottawa Fury as a goalkeeping coach in Canada, but seems to be pining for a more high-profile job.
Just weeks back he slammed Mignolet, via Sky Sports, although his recent comments suggest he regrets the remarks.
“He is not the overall package,” he began. “The overall package is good with your feet and coming out and commanding your area.
“I’ve got a goalkeeper in Canada, a 24-year-old, who does this better than Mignolet does and is just as good of a shot stopper. He is more of a package than Mignolet is.”
Mignolet’s been average this season, but the most important comments regarding his performances come from his manager Jurgen Klopp, who’s more than happy with his keeper.
“I am absolutely satisfied with our goalkeeping situation. I am sorry to kill your stories about German goalkeepers and goalkeepers from Stoke,” he told the Guardian at the start of this month.