This is really what I don't understand. Mignolet made two solid stops, one from Ramsey's chance, another from the lofted ball from Ozil in to the box with his superb punch - and all in all Arsenal should have banged another couple in without him getting involved. It was the defence in front letting him down, perhaps the 2nd he could have done better for, but you don't expect to be done near post by a corner like that anyway - it always has to be the defender's job to win the first ball.
Yet the narrative in many newspapers, and even in the TAW, is all about Mignolet being at fault for the result, in isolation. The scapegoat, the easy target. The "we'd have won 3-0 without him in goal" embarassing posts.
Klopp is all about holding hands with the players, going and thanking the Kop for their support, and the same was true last night after the result. It isn't always about the win but about the performance, and the team dug in and gave everything - snatching a point at the death, which was thoroughly deserved. I'd say you can absolutely count the keeper amongst that bunch.
I keep hearing noises about being 'the best fans in the world' on this forum, but then pissing and moaning about the keeper - every game, the defence - every game, and the useless forwards - every game. You have to get behind the players who wear the shirt and stop moaning that Suarez was better, or Stevie was better, or Alonso was better, or Benteke's no Fowler. When Klopp was talking about "don’t take history in your backpack and carry it with you" this is exactly what he is on about. Support the team on the field now, for all their faults, not lament they aren't better than they are - support them so enthusiastically that they play like men possessed every game, like they did last night. If you keep ripping them to shreds, thousands of you, across social media, forums, down the pub, in the terraces - then it turns into a media narrative the players and managers hear about. Don't be surprised if they don't give 100% in every game, in front of those 'best fans in the world', who think they should fuck off out of "their" club.
Thank you for this post Ash. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It seems like almost every game I look back on thinking "If you swapped Mignolet's performance for 'x'..."
For example, the Stoke game, Jack Butland shanked a bunch of kicks, and I was thinking "If you swapped Mignolet's performance for Butland that game - people would be talking about how much we need to get rid of Mignolet and get someone like...Butland..."
Against Arsenal, Cech was arguably at fault for all three goals. YES, even the Firmino worldy...it wasn't hit with extreme pace, he had a good line of sight, plenty of time to shuffle his feet, and he dove with his wrong hand and ended up an inch away from it.
I swear to Aisha, if you swapped Cech and Mignolet's performances...people would be saying Mignolet should have saved all three goals...because you know what? Petr Cech could, and possibly should, have saved all three fucking goals. Definitely the last one, probably the second, and maybe the first.
The confirmation bias, particularly with regards to Mignolet, is fucking rife around these parts.
Oh, and any fans that give ironic cheers or boos to ANY of our players during a match can do one.
