Bit of a weird thing to say, and it's not just you of course. So the difference between his shambolic self that we had to endure for 3 seasons and this more solid new version was just competition? He needed to think he was going to lose his spot to actually perform?
He's either a shithouse for that or maybe he just had the odd okay season, with little to suggest that this is his actual ability given the wealth of evidence we have.
I don't at all expect us to sign a new keeper so I hope he continues playing well, but the 'competition' argument is not very good. Maybe miracles do happen.
it's a fair enough suggestion, so why you decided it a 'not very good one' is a bit odd! He knew he was going to start the season as the 2nd choice last year, and he knew the manager had bought in a new number 1 of course it's going to have an affect. And it can be positive or negative, for him it looks like it was very positive.
But there's a number of factors.
Another is that he was never that bad in the first place, but many had decided he was utter shit - that has now been passed onto Karius, it seems we always have to have a goalie to come down hard on.
Another will be confidence, he lost it, it affected him, he's now playing with as much of it as he ever has.
Another will simply be working hard, and working with the coach on the things that needed improving on. And I'd think that working with other good goalies likely does help too, an experienced old pro in Manninger, and a younger one in Karius.
