Gary Lineker impressed by Liverpool player who has everything - 'Is there a flaw?'
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have been left impressed by Ibrahima Konate this season, with the Liverpool defender having earned his spot back alongside Virgil van Dijk.
The Frenchman helped the Reds to another clean sheet on Saturday as they beat Bournemouth 3-0 for their fifth win in six games under Arne Slot. Konate has started all but one of those games under the new head coach – the opening day win over Ipswich.
The 25-year-old lost his place in the side last season following a poor showing in the derby day defeat to Everton in April, and looked to have stayed below Jarell Quansah in the pecking order as the new season began.
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Having been called upon by Slot at half-time at Ipswich though, Konate has not looked back, with his form alongside Virgil van Dijk earning him plaudits from the pundits.
Speaking after the Champions League win over AC Milan, in which Konate scored the equalizer for Liverpool, Lineker told the Rest is Football podcast: “They seem to be becoming a regular and solid pairing. Obviously, Van Dijk has been an ever-present for many years now.
“He (Konate) is quick, he’s strong, he’s big, he’s good in the air, seems to be, you know, intelligent in his defensive work. Is there a flaw?” he asked Richards.
The former Manchester City defender replied: “There’s always a flaw in defenders.
“When Konate’s come into the team, he’s aggressive, he’s powerful, he takes a lot of chances. Sometimes positioning-wise, he’s a bit like me in my career where you back your physical attributes to get you out of trouble.
“Sometimes, on the ball, I feel like he takes a few risks, a few more than he would like to, but in terms of his form this season, alongside Van Dijk, when you look at Arsenal, it’s like Saliba and Gabriel, you’re sort of looking at Liverpool, even in the past when they were winning the league, it’s always been Van Dijk and another.
“I think now for Konate, he has to make that his own. He’s young enough, he’s got the ability, it’s just doing it on a consistent basis now.”
Liverpool.com says: Konate has been superb for Liverpool this season, and defensively, the Reds look much improved. Four clean sheets in six games certainly backs that up.
The key thing for Konate now is making sure he stays fit. Far too often over the past few years, we have seen him looking settled alongside Van Dijk, only to break down injured and open the door for another defender.