Iker Casillas has called for an end to the barrage of abuse that has been directed at Loris Karius over the past few months.
The Liverpool goalkeeper came under criticism again in Sunday’s International Champions Cup clash with Borussia Dortmund after mishandling a Christian Pulisic shot into the path of Jacob Bruun Larsen for a tap-in.
It followed on from a mistake against Tranmere earlier this pre-season, with Karius fumbling a free-kick to eventual scorer Jonny Smith.
Both marked nervy repercussions of the severe dent in confidence he suffered during Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
In a tough moment in Karius’ career, Casillas has demanded support for the German.
He said: “Will this attack Loris Karius ever end? I’m talking about him like so many other goalkeepers. There are many more serious problems in the world f***! Leave the Kid alone! He’s also a person. As we all are!”
Este ataque a @LorisKarius va a terminar alguna vez? Hablo de él como tantos otros guardametas. Hay muchos más problemas serios en el mundo joder! Dejar al chaval en paz! También es persona. Como lo somos todos!
— Iker Casillas (@IkerCasillas) July 22, 2018
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Karius need not be reminded of his form, nor does the toughest spell in his career so far need to be made any worse by upsetting remarks from fans.
For Karius to have seen Alisson arrive for £65million from Roma also can’t have been easy in his effort to prove himself again on Merseyside.
To step back into the spotlight so soon after his torrid night in Kiev is a brave and admirable decision in itself for a man simply trying to rediscover his confidence for the good of his career.
Mistakes happen in football, to goalkeepers more than most. Now is perhaps the ideal time for Jurgen Klopp to take a step back with Karius in pre-season and hand first-team opportunities to youth shot-stoppers Kamil Grabara and Caoimhín Kelleher.