Alisson Becker

[Kenneth]

This debate is an odd one, Kelleher at 27 wanted to be a #1 and frankly he should have been a long time ago. That was never happening at LFC for him at least for another year or two.

For his age, Mamardashvili is easily among the top 10 keepers in the world. That's excellent succession planning.

I'll be sad when Alisson goes and it was mooted this would be his last season before it started, so i reckon he is gone as his stats have fallen off a cliff anyway. He's been one of the coolest ****ers we've had in years since the moment he walked into the club looking like a rock superstar.

Kelleher was begging to leave the year before he was sold.

[Charly]

Its strange. I cant help but feel players are falling out of love of playing.

[Norbs]

So was he injured at all or just being a snide?

[peterbread]

The last I heard is he’s staying now. Or at least that’s the rumours swirling around which would be good.

[Charly]

Last game?

A sad day.

An end of an era.

[labourRed]

This debate is an odd one, Kelleher at 27 wanted to be a #1 and frankly he should have been a long time ago. That was never happening at LFC for him at least for another year or two.

For his age, Mamardashvili is easily among the top 10 keepers in the world. That's excellent succession planning.

I'll be sad when Alisson goes and it was mooted this would be his last season before it started, so i reckon he is gone as his stats have fallen off a cliff anyway. He's been one of the coolest ****ers we've had in years since the moment he walked into the club looking like a rock superstar.

[baitman]

I think once mama has more time and has a more settled and on form set of defenders in front of him then he can grow into the role and understand better what his team mates are likely to do.
When a goalie is the supreme number one they have a confidence and assurance about them. It must be hard to take the Jersey and have to suddenly step up as the senior glovesmith.

[Exiled_red]

Backup GK is always a difficult position, he hasn't really had much of an extended run of games (which is a good thing for a back up GK) When he has played he has looked decent enough, problems are 2 fold for me: 1) we are comparing him to peak Alisson and with all due respect Alisson isn't peak Alisson any more, 2) he doesn't seem to be the same type of keeper as Alisson in that from what I have seen so far he seems to prefer to stay on his line, whereas Alisson and Kelleher tended to come out and deny forwards space which was what made Alisson so good at one-on-ones. For me the change of style is more of a puzzling one, I think Kelleher is mentioned because he is a similar style of GK to Alisson, and that makes him in the minds of fans at least more suitable than Mamardashvili

[danperkins]

Imo it's more that alot of fans aren't really sold on Mama, so naturally the Kelleher name drop will be made, previously with the club and having a great season. It's very hard to judge Mama in fairness, bizarre season and I'm sure he ll get his chance to lay a marker down if Alisson leaves which imo he will. One of many changes happening this summer, gonna be interesting.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Sure but he has looked a much better keeper than Mama imo. Experience is great, so is talent. Kelleher is only 27 and has at least another 10 years left. Kelleher has less games because he has been at a top club behind5th4 best in the world, also he had the experience of being at a top level, championship winning club and has been learning from Alisson. He was great most times he deputised for Alisson, has been good for Ireland and has had a great season for Brentford too. He's underrated imo and is clearly more rounded keeper than Mama. Whether that will change in time remains to be seen.

Don't disagree with most of your post, but again I think the point stands that if Kelleher had a similar career but at Man City and then went to Brentford and had the exact same season that he just had, would we be calling for him to be the Alisson replacement?

I have my doubts. Maybe he would be in the conversation but I do not think he would be as clear cut a favourite in the eyes of many.

That is in no way to take away from his level at present. He is a good keeper, he is very rounded, however for his age, 27 going on 28, he is far less experienced in terms of competitive games than most very good to top level keepers in his age bracket.

Yes he has had the advantage of training with the very best, but he still lacks the experience that he should have and more at his age. The experience that would make a lot of keeper's his gae closer to being the finished article.

Kelleher might well go up a few more levels or he may take another few years as a starter to get to that level and then be close to the stage where his body starts going the other way.

Have a feeling he is going to be a what if? kind of player as in What if he had moved from us earlier in his career and gotten experience/game time under his belt a few years sooner

And some of the same arguements can be made against Mamar, however he is further along in terms of competitive games experience and still has another two years to go in his career before he reaches the age Kelleher is now so potentially Mamar at 27 may well have 300+ games under his belt at 27 whereas Kelleher at 27 currently has less than half of that at 27 turning 28.

Just feel like goalkeepers because of the fact they tend to start peaking from 27 or 28 onwards do need to have plenty of experience under their belt by their mid 20s.

Think a goalkeeper at 27 or 28 with only 100 clubs games to his name is like getting a 24 or 25 yo midfielder or attacker with 50 games to his name. You start to question why so few games if they are meant to be so good (and I know the Alisson factor comes into play there) and if the player has enough game experience at that point to fully realise their potential.

For my money, I think Kelleher should have left us even sooner than he did and should be coming off the back of the second or third season of his career as a starter. Think he would be even better had he done that and would have experience in the bank to be an established senior player at his age rather than being of senior player age but with the game experience of a younger player.

At the end of the day it makes no difference whatsoever though. Kelleher wanted to leave and he left. He's gone so all I care about if if our current number two can show in the coming 12 months if he has the ability to start step up to be our next established starter. Maybe he will, maybe he will not, but he is the our guy and the only one right now that matters in terms of next LFC keeper.

Kelleher can always come back home here to Cork and play at Turners Cross with his brother

[danperkins]

Not in the slightest. It is average for a keeper but not poor.

If we can get our heads around the fact he is very much in the mould of Oblak and build around him as such rather than trying to make him the new Alisson then come this time next season and for the seasons that follow we may well be crowing about how we got such a good keeper for the price we paid for him.

Think the time to compare him to Kelleher is when he hits the age when keepers tend to hit their peak. Kelleher is at that age given he turns 28 later this year (Mamrar turns 26 later this year) but Marar at 25 is currently far more experienced at club and international level than Kelleher is at 27 and has gotten in the minutes early in his career that Kelleher is only starting to get in now.

Think if Kelleher had the minutes at 25 that Mamar has now, then we might be looking at a very different Kelleher but as things stand Kelleher maybe not have the same amount of game experience under his belt until he is closer to 30. Makes a big difference for keepers to have that experience under their belts long before their peak years as it means a lot of their learning and mistake making is done by the time they hit 27 or 28 and the experience they have gained early on allows them to fully hit their stride when they should.

Of course there are exceptions and there are keepers that become top tier when younger (and I have a feeling Diogo Costa will be one of those that become amazing by 26) but generally it is the ones that have the right talent coupled with the right amount of game time in their early to mid 20s that become top tier rather than "only" being very good.

Sure but he has looked a better keeper than Mama imo. Experience is great, so is talent. Kelleher is only 27 and has at least another 10 years left. Kelleher has less games because he has been at a top club behind the best in the world, also he had the experience of being at a top level, championship winning club and has been learning from Alisson. His mistake was staying so long. He was great most times he deputised for Alisson, so much so that we didn't notice a drop off, he has been great for Ireland who are horrendous and has had a brilliant season for Brentford too. He's underrated imo and is clearly more rounded keeper than Mama. Whether that will change in time remains to be seen but the footwork and calmness is something you can't develop this late. I'd also argue that Alisson has been dodgy on the deck for the last few years.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Yeah, lunacy not to have had a conversation with him and Becker if Becker was considering trying his luck elsewhere

But as Kelleher has said in interviews, he did have conversations with the club well before his final season with us. He wanted to become a first team regular and the club said that Alisson was going to be the regular last season and again this season so Kelleher looked for his move away.

No guarantee that even had Kelleher stayed that he would be the starter next season either as Alisson may well see out the final year of his contract.

[Norbs]

Wouldn't be surprised but at the same time I think I'll be a bit sad to see him go. Also, wish kelleher was sold with a buyback because he'd have fancied his chances in a fair competition against Mamardash i reckon

Yeah, lunacy not to have had a conversation with him and Becker if Becker was considering trying his luck elsewhere

[Doc_Piptorious]

I think Mama is showing all the signs of being a great goalie. Especially in the air.

He is young and some of his decision making will need ot improve but he is brave, a great shot stopper and great in the air.

His footwork is not catastrophic either. I like this guy.

Not in the slightest. It is average for a keeper but not poor.

If we can get our heads around the fact he is very much in the mould of Oblak and build around him as such rather than trying to make him the new Alisson then come this time next season and for the seasons that follow we may well be crowing about how we got such a good keeper for the price we paid for him.

Think the time to compare him to Kelleher is when he hits the age when keepers tend to hit their peak. Kelleher is at that age given he turns 28 later this year (Mamrar turns 26 later this year) but Marar at 25 is currently far more experienced at club and international level than Kelleher is at 27 and has gotten in the minutes early in his career that Kelleher is only starting to get in now.

Think if Kelleher had the minutes at 25 that Mamar has now, then we might be looking at a very different Kelleher but as things stand Kelleher maybe not have the same amount of game experience under his belt until he is closer to 30. Makes a big difference for keepers to have that experience under their belts long before their peak years as it means a lot of their learning and mistake making is done by the time they hit 27 or 28 and the experience they have gained early on allows them to fully hit their stride when they should.

Of course there are exceptions and there are keepers that become top tier when younger (and I have a feeling Diogo Costa will be one of those that become amazing by 26) but generally it is the ones that have the right talent coupled with the right amount of game time in their early to mid 20s that become top tier rather than "only" being very good.

[5europeancups]

I think Mama is showing all the signs of being a great goalie. Especially in the air.

He is young and some of his decision making will need ot improve but he is brave, a great shot stopper and great in the air.

His footwork is not catastrophic either. I like this guy.