---
title: "Do Liverpool Need a Better Back Up Goalkeeper?"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/do-liverpool-need-a-better-back-up-goalkeeper/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "James Martin"
section: "Articles"
published: "2014-02-20T08:25:49Z"
modified: "2014-02-23T19:08:52Z"
---

# Do Liverpool Need a Better Back Up Goalkeeper?

Let’s face it: Brad Jones isn’t very good. Most Liverpool fans have come to terms with this, and to be frank, most people don’t really care. He is, after all, only the reserve keeper, why should we waste good money on another keeper when we already have a world class shot-stopper in Simon Mignolet? This mindset strikes me as odd. These are the same people who always bemoan the lack of squad depth; why should this not also apply to the position of goalkeeper?

Imagine this scenario: Mignolet comes out bravely to claim a 50/50 ball. He gets there, but sustains a very nasty blow to the head. It rules him out for the rest of the season. Would you be comfortable knowing that an already uninsipirng back line has Brad Jones as its last line of defence for a number of months? This is obviously an extreme example, but it is by no mean unimaginable. Even if the injury were only to keep Mignolet out for a few games, a substantial number of points could be lost due to soft goals being conceded. It is always good to have solid back-up in goal, and Liverpool are lacking it.

Why, you may ask, would a very talented goalkeeper want to come to Liverpool just to sit on the bench, and occasionally get the odd cup game here and there? Perhaps he wouldn’t, although the move of the excellent Jack Butland to Stoke (where he is 3rd choice keeper) suggests that the lure of a Premier League team is enough to bring talented players even if they won’t be first pick. Assuming, however, that the most skilled keepers out there would refuse to join in the knowledge of being second choice, it would perhaps be more prudent to employ a system of competition for the first team place in goal. It is not particularly common, but it has worked very well in the past. To cite a couple of examples, Artur Boruc only truly emerged as one of the best keepers in the league after he fought off the competition from Kelvin Davis and Paulo Gazzaniga. Similarly, at Arsenal, Wojciech Szczesny had to prove his worth ahead of Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone (now doing very well at Sunderland) prior to earning his place long-term. At the moment, Mignolet can rest pretty safe in the knowledge that he can perform badly and still keep his place; if there was another, equally capable keeper waiting in the wings then he would be sure to step up his game.

Sadly, like most things in life, there would be a price to pay for this luxury. Adding another talented goalkeeper to our ranks would probably require a large initial transfer fee, not to mention an additional player to add to the wage bill. Although a new keeper would be an excellent addition both as cover for injuries and competition for places, it cannot realistically be viewed as our top priority. With the defence as weak as it is, one wouldn’t imagine that the thought of bringing in a new goalkeeper come the summer has even crossed Brendan Rodgers’ mind. That said, if we are able to achieve Champions League football by finishing in the top four this season (which, incidentally, I am very confident we will be able to do), it would surely be possible. Bigger-name players would be attracted to join Liverpool despite the lack of guarantee of regular game time, and there would be more money to cover the additional wage cost of a new keeper.

In summary, a new goalkeeper would be excellent cover for in case Mignolet got injured, and may well even have the effect of improving the Belgian’s performances by providing competition for the first-team spot. Although it would come at a price to the club, it is a price that, if we make it to the big stage of the Champions League, we should be willing and eager to pay.