Legendary goalkeeping coach slams Brendan Rodgers for Simon Mignolet treatment

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Should Brad Jones have been brought into the side…?

Bob Wilson, Arsenal’s former long-serving goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach, reckons Brendan Rodgers is wrong to have dropped Simon Mignolet.

Rodgers decided to pull the Belgian out of the firing line before the Manchester United defat, and Brad Jones has started the past three matches.

The Australian understudy has been anything but impressive, and has conceded five goals in the ten shots on target he’s faced…

“I’m really surprised Simon Mignolet has been dropped,” Wilson told talkSPORT. “He is a solid, proven goalkeeper and the one thing you need as a goalkeeper is to know your manager and coaches believe in you.

“He’s taken the blame for what has been a very poor [Liverpool] team. That is the thing with being a goalkeeper, you walk a tightrope every game, and if your team is playing badly and letting in bad goals, you will inevitably let in a bad one yourself.

“And for him [Rodgers] to say he’s been dropped indefinitely is like a dagger to the heart.”

The Liverpool goalkeeper debate is an issue which divides supporters. While Wilson is right that the dropping will have affected Mignolet’s confidence, few can argue that the 26-year-old’s performances have been of an acceptable level this term.

Unfortunately though, Jones is not a top notch replacement option, and few would be surprised if we didn’t enter the January transfer market for a new stopper.

Wilson made over 200 top flight appearances for the Gunners, and worked as a coach for 28 years, too.

 

 

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