David James tells Alisson Becker two areas he needs to work on
David James shared his opinion of Liverpool ace Alisson Becker in an interview recently. James pointed out the commendable strengths and overlooked vulnerabilities of the celebrated goalkeeper. The former goalkeeper could produce a prudent judgement owing to his experience at the Anfield side.
The Englishman, who’s made 213 senior appearances for the Reds, spoke to Football365 about how the 31-year-old has the desired abilities a goalkeeper would need to be deemed adept at his role.
“When you look at the requirements of goalkeepers these days, he ticks all the boxes. His distribution is first class and no matter what they say about modern football, the main point for a keeper is always saving shots at key moments and Alisson is consistently the best at that.”
He further added that the Liverpool ace could focus on two crucial areas to level up his game, by saying:
“Alisson probably isn’t the best in the Premier League in terms of claiming balls in the air. You would also say that Manchester City keeper Ederson is a step ahead of him when it comes to distribution.”
Former Reds GK believes that Liverpool ace Alisson Becker isn’t adept at ‘claiming balls in the air’
David James believes Alisson has key flaws that’s holding him back. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
One can claim that the former manager of the Kerala Blasters did not equal Alisson’s dominance on the field even in his career’s peak. The former earned the title of ‘Calamity James’ after being severely prone to errors in a series of matches he played for the Anfield side.
After blaming his errors on lack of concentration, he seemingly grew into his respectable self on the field after educating himself with sports psychology and intense introspection. Therefore, James’ longer period of experience with the Premier League undoubtedly gives him a better perspective on where Becker can improve his play.
Alisson is one of Liverpool’s strongest players at the moment. The numerous saves he’s made have played a key role in the Reds maintaining their spot among the top five clubs in the Premier League table for most of the season.
If he does indeed have weaknesses, he overcomes these weaknesses with his primary strengths at times. His agility with his feet and rapid reactions to strikes have enabled him to serve as an excellent shot-stopper. Let’s hope it continues for a long time.
