Like the title says, a coach will have much more influence on a players career than one thinks. Coaches can give you your first change at first team football, coaches can motivate you, coaches can improve your skills and use you potential at the max!

But there is also the other side of the medal. A coach can really wreck your career. It can all start with an off day on the pitch, losing your place or even worse the trust and support of the coach. The coach can have a different view on the type of football the team has to play, which maybe is a style which doesn't suit the player. Or it can just be personal. Not all people in the world will be your friends and the looker room is a reflection of the real world! But even a hidden agenda could be involved!

But it also depends on the position you do play. A striker could get more changes to play when the coach still believes in you! The most difficult position probably is the keeper!

If you do loose the trust of your coach, you can kiss your career goodbye. For sure as long as he is the manager of the club!

Mignolet

Mignolet arrived at Liverpool in 2013! He quickly became the first keeper of the team and had some solid performances! Maybe he wasn’t the best keeper Liverpool had, he was still a solid one!

Then Klopp arrived at Liverpool in October 2015. During the summer transfer window of 2016, he did purchase a new keeper! Karius!

This would become a life changer for Mignolet. Klopp really did want to set Karius as first keeper. Regardless if he was ready for it or not!

So he started with some kind of rotation. Mignolet would play the league games, while Karius would be getting his chance in the European and Cup games. The first time he decided to make Karius the first keeper he failed and under pressure he had to reinstall Mignolet!

Still Karius was allowed to play the Champions League games.

The next season he did the same thing but although Mignolet still was the better keeper he opted for Karius. We all know how this did end! With a losing Champions League final!

After that season he decided to buy Becker. Without a doubt a better keeper as Mignolet!

But what would have happened if Klopp didn’t had a second agenda and kept Mignolet as first keeper? We will never know.

Mignolet always accepted his faith, but already did see Karius rewarded with a transfer while he had to second as back-up of Becker! Now during this transfer season again, Liverpool or Klopp has no intention to sell Mignolet or grant him a transfer he deserves.

The worst thing for a keeper is to get the label: the best back-up keeper in the world!

In my eyes Klopp did destroy the career of Mignolet!

Cheers,

Peter