Mark Lawrenson has accused Ibrahima Konate of disappearing during games for Liverpool

Speaking to Off the Ball as quoted by Liverpool Echo, former Reds defender Mark Lawrenson has called out French centre-back Ibrahima Konate for disappearing at times during games.

Konate started in the game against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup which the Reds won thanks to a solitary Diogo Jota goal. The 22-year-old joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig back in the summer and has made 19 appearances for the Merseyside club so far.

The Frenchman has been very solid for the Reds whenever he has played and has shown the potential that made Liverpool spend the big bucks on him. The centre-back has consistently improved under Jurgen Klopp and could turn out to be a rock at the back in the future.

However, Lawrenson feels that the young French centre-back still has a lot to improve and tends to ‘go missing’ in games sometimes.

“Konate is learning. I just think defensively he disappears at times”

A future star?

The French defender has time and again proven his talent for both Leipzig and the Reds and it’s very clear he has very high potential. For a manager like Klopp to sign you and play you in important games at such a young age- surely he is doing something right.

The Liverpool defender is far from a finished product and there are many aspects of his game that needs fine-tuning. At 22, Konate has a lot of room to grow and who better to learn from than Jurgen Klopp and improve his game.

If the German manager manages to unlock the Frenchman’s potential, he could have a special player on his hands. Lawrenson, who was a world-class defender during his time with the Reds, would certainly understand that a young centre-back such as Konate can only get better with time, especially with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip guiding him.

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It remains to be seen as to how the Frenchman turns out but all the signs are pointing in the right direction. Liverpool play next on April 2nd against Watford in what is the start of a highly intense, and season-defining month for the club.

We will need to make use of all our important players during this time and Konate is sure to have ample chances to prove his worth in the coming weeks.