I was that poster. Clearly I have a hell of a lot more faith in his ability than you do! Admittedly you've left a few little caveats which you can slip through later when Keita's full impact on our team becomes apparent. But on the whole I think it's fair to see you don't rate him at all.
I can also see why some posters feel that he should have been trusted with the ball more in tight areas (especially in the first half). Right, steel yourself Pyjamas, because this is going to really upset you. It's the Barcelona method of attacking teams who prefer to defend deep against them. Keita has something of the Xavi in him perhaps. Xavi deliberately used to take up positions in crowded areas of the pitch because he wanted to invite the challenge as soon as he got the ball. It was the best way for him to turn a man who, otherwise was happy to concede 10 yards and let Xavi and the rest play in front of him, knocking the ball slowly and monotonously from side to side. At Leipzig Keita had a gift for using his first touch to turn an opponent and then running with the ball into the heart of what looked like an impenetrable defence. That can be devastating, especially if there are other players in the side - Firmino, Lallana - who see things early and have their own scintillating first touch.
The problem is risk. If things go wrong you risk losing the ball and, with a team like Leicester who don't panic in the first moments of possession (i.e. don't hoof), leave yourself open to counter attack. With Keita not up to full speed yet perhaps it was wise not to trust him to keep the ball when he appeared tightly marked. There again, we were woefully short of adventure in the first half (Matip and Mane aside) and too content to play at one pace in front of Leicester.
Why would any of that upset me? Although I'll admit that you comparing Naby Keita to Jari Litmanen and Xavi Hernandez is a little distressing, to be honest.
I've seen flashes of what you and others are saying with regards to him not receiving the ball in tight areas in other games, but I did not really see that last night at all to be honest. Keita was deep last night - at times deeper than Gini. The average positions back this up:
The debate on here in recent weeks has been that he has been playing too high up the pitch - but that is a contradiction with what you and others are now saying with regards to him receiving the ball in tight areas. If he thrives in those situations, surely you would want him in the half-spaces?
Last night he was in the position people have been calling for him to play, giving him ample time & space to run into, to "accelerate and speed up the game", in Klopp's words, which is what he was brought here to do, but instead he generally chose to lay off short, sideways passes at almost every opportunity.
The one time he did do what Klopp wants from him, he should have won a penalty, so I hope to see this more regularly, although hopefully from minute one rather than minute forty-six as has been the case in his last two starts.
I do rate Keita. I just don't appear to rate him as much as you and others do, and I certainly won't be jumping through hoops to criticise our manager and his team-mates who have proven themselves considerably more on the Liverpool payroll than he has. I've seen this story way too many times before - including with the guy in nets last season - and if often doesn't end well.
