Ibrahima Konate, Klopp’s Latest Gamble
ARTICLE BY MATTY
Some of you may be looking at the title and asking why I said the imminent signing of Ibrahima
Konate from RB Leipzig is Klopp’s “latest” gamble. However, look back and see the players
we’ve signed under his leadership. Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, even Alisson. The core spine of the team itself, bar one unfortunate miss that wasn’t anyone’s fault, came from players that, at first glance, wouldn’t have been considered world-class upon arrival. Mane was unproven at the top level, while Salah had previously busted at Chelsea. Virgil was coming off of injury and had one good year before we bought him, much like Alisson. Robertson was from a relegated Hull side. Yet they all became the core of the team because of Klopp’s coaching. So let’s take a look at the latest purchase of Klopp’s, whose injury concerns make him a major gamble: Ibrahima Konate.
Konate himself is an absolute beast of a man, standing as tall as van Dijk. His strength in the
air complemented his much-mentioned teammate, the Bayern-bound Dayot Upamecano,
averaging 2 aerial duels per game. The very first article I wrote for 4KK included Konate, to
which I said that he needed to be a bit more consistent. He had all the ability in the world, it
seemed, yet he needed to be tamed to help him better apply it. Defensively, he is very much
like Virgil van Dijk: although his tackling needs a bit of work, his reading of the game and the
timing of his movements stand out as major positives, averaging about an interception per
game. Still only 21, Konate still has a lot more to add to his game despite already being a very
good player. Having played mainly in a system that, under Julian Nagelsmann, played with
three center-backs, you’d imagine there’d be a bit of an adjustment period for him. Yet the
physical and mental traits are there for him to be a Rolls-Royce of a defender, capable of
sweeping in, taking the ball, and immediately springing a counterattack. And also, playing in a
system where there’s a lot of overlapping and position switches like Leipzig’s, Konate has
found himself playing in any of the three center-back positions, meaning his offensive mind is
sharp and capable of understanding complex ideas. His passing stands out as a major
positive, his long passing again reminiscent of van Dijk. You see that I keep mentioning our
imperious number 4. Well, it’s quite possible that we’ve found another talent that is just as
much of a physical freak as Virgil, and also similarly skilled. Yet, if this is truly the case, why
isn’t this signing greeted with less skepticism and more praise? Well, as has been the case for
many Liverpool players, injuries are a major concern.
Konate’s injuries have, admittedly, kept him from a consistent starting berth at Leipzig this
season. He’s had three separate knee issues as well as an ankle problem, yet that all seems to
come from one major injury, an injury Konate had recently had fixed: a torn hip flexor. Now,
having known multiple Irish dancers who have suffered something similar, let me explain what
that is and why it’s caused subsequent issues. Like my fellow dancers, Konate tried pushing
through the injury as he was in a great run of form when it happened, and this injury typically
happens due to overwork of the hip flexor anyways. Naturally, as he kept pushing it, the
overwork made the problem worse. However, this past summer, he went to France and had an
operation on it, which could either prove to be what fixes the injury issue or simply prolongs it.
So far, he seems to have suffered injuries due to overcompensating for the weaker hip, which
happens all the time in dance as well. Furthermore, with a torn hip flexor, it’s a very
complicated surgery and recovery. Considering the muscles themselves don’t regenerate, as
there isn’t any blood flow going to those muscles that would carry platelets required for
regeneration, you almost have to pin the tear shut and take away some of the flexibility of that
hip so that it can be properly used again. Being such a key player over the past few season for
his team, Konate naturally has suffered further issues due to an eagerness to return, causing
further stress on the hip. Now realize that the regeneration of that muscle might be possible,
meaning that Konate can possibly be free of his injury nightmares. However, the more likely
scenario could possibly be that he can only play so many games before the hip needs a rest to
prevent another tear. Now Liverpool’s doctors are rumored to have extensively gone through
Konate’s records like I have and think that he’ll get over his hip issues and be a consistent
every-day player. While I think that’d be particularly wonderful to see, considering Konate’s full
potential is as good as anyone in his position, I think we should go into this with very cautious
optimism: not only have Liverpool’s doctors been repeatedly wrong (Ox, Matip, Keita, Shaq,
the list goes on), but hip flexors are a very tough injury to overcome and recover from.
So where does this leave us? Well, with Konate’s signing having been widely confirmed, it
means we’ve targeted a successor for van Dijk who has all the traits of becoming one of the
best in the world. At the very least, Konate should challenge Gomez for a starting spot next
season, as Konate’s pace has been described as unnatural for a center-back, with multiple
coaches raving about how he was arguably Leipzig’s fastest player, faster than their former
goal scorer Timo Werner. Seeing how that is Gomez’s biggest advantage over any potential
challengers for his spot, that advantage is taken away by Konate’s arrival. Furthermore,
Konate”s considerable talent can only grow next to the player that he was likely brought in to
eventually replace, Virgil himself. However, the injuries cannot be ignored, nor can their severity
be downplayed either. Konate the player should fit perfectly into the Liverpool machine should
he stay healthy. However, like many of the players in Klopp’s squad, that word “should” hangs
over him like a cloud right now.
So, that’s really all I had planned for this week unless you want me to do another player. I’m
open to suggestions on which Liverpool player I should analyze next, I’m thinking I’ll probably
do two of these per week. However, considering all I’ve got planned with some friends over the
summer, I might cram them in at times to make up for a week or two where I might not get to
doing one of these. Regardless, thanks for the opportunity to write for all of you and I hope
you’re happy seeing more of these
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