Exclusive: Liverpool star and Premier League ‘best’ Alisson told two areas to improve by David James

Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James has identified the key reasons why Alisson Becker is the best keeper in the Premier League, even though he believes he has two big areas of his game that could be improved.

The Brazilian stopper is in his sixth season as Liverpool’s No.1 and he has been a key player in their successes under manager Jurgen Klopp during that time.

Alisson was also Liverpool’s stand-out performer as they suffered an alarming dip in form last season, with James telling Football365 that the 31-year-old is a class apart thanks to his ability to step forward when it matters most.

“Liverpool are such a fantastic team and they dominate opponents for long periods, which presents a problem for a goalkeeper,” began James, who played 277 games for Liverpool between 1992 and 1999.

“It means Alisson has spells in the game when he is not involved massively. Keeping your concentration when you are not involved in the game is a challenge, but in the key moments when the moment comes, Alisson delivers more often than not.

“If you look back over the last two to three years, he has been producing big saves early in matches when the score is at 0-0. Liverpool go on to win comfortably and people almost forgot how important Alisson was to the win as the goal scorers get all the credit.

“When you look at the requirements of goalkeepers these days, he ticks all the boxes. His distribution is first class and no matter what they say about modern football, the main point for a keeper is always saving shots at key moments and Alisson is consistently the best at that.”

While James is eager to crown Alisson as the Premier League’s best keeper, he suggests the Liverpool No.1 has two areas of his game that could be improved, with his aerial presence on that list.

“Alisson probably isn’t the best in the Premier League in terms of claiming balls in the air,” he stated.

“You would also say that Manchester City keeper Ederson is a step ahead of him when it comes to distribution, but that perception can be affected by big moments when he makes a decisive pass.

“I’ve looked at the statistics and Ederson’s long-range passing is not always as accurate as you might think, but when he gets it right, it can lead to a goal-scoring opportunity as City have so many players who can turn defence into attack quickly.”

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James played 53 times for England in a career that included spells at Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bristol City and Bournemouth before he retired from the English game in 2013.

As he compares his time at the top of the game to the demands placed on a keeper now, he has identified one key shift in mindset.

“Clean sheets don’t seem to be a trend any more,” added James. “A vast majority of the Premier League teams have less clean sheets at this stage of the season than they had a year ago.

“Playing out from the back is part of the problem for that as it seems to be tolerated that teams play this way now when mistakes come along.

“Saving shots is not the most important thing for a keeper now as what he can contribute to the build-up has become more important.

“This shift in mindset is a great opportunity for goalkeeping coaches to have more of an impact on the development of a player.

“They all need to be able to work the ball with their left foot as well as their right foot and that means they need to evolve from just saving shots. That needs a lot of working on the training ground.”