Besiktas Manager Senol Gunes: 'Something Is Wrong' with 'Stagnant' Loris Karius
Besiktas manager Senol Gunes has said "something is wrong" with goalkeeper Loris Karius, who is at the club on loan from Liverpool.
The goalkeeper faced jeers from his own supporters on Sunday after he was at fault for one of the goals scored by Konyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig game between the two sides.
Despite the mistake, Besiktas were able to pick up a 3-2 win at the Vodafone Park Stadium, with Shinji Kagawa netting a winner for the team in stoppage time.
TOP NEWS
Jude, Barco Got Heated After Semi
Messi, Argentina Shock England in Semifinal 😱
World Cup Semifinals W/Ls 🎭
After the game, Gunes was critical of the player's performance and accused him of lacking passion for the sport, per Eren Sarigul of ESPN FC.
"He was at fault for the goals he conceded," said the Besiktas boss. "Karius has gone a bit stagnant, something is wrong with his electricity, motivation, enthusiasm for the game."
The Turkish Football Twitter account summed up what has been a challenging week for the player after a positive February for him:
Jack Sear of Goal said he doesn't anticipate comments like those from his manager will help Karius:
The German goalkeeper moved to Besiktas on loan in the summer, after Liverpool spent a then-world-record amount to sign Alisson Becker from Roma.
Karius was made Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper during the the 2017-18 term and was part of the side that progressed to the final of the UEFA Champions League. However, the 'keeper endured a horrific game against Real Madrid in the showpiece, as he made two errors leading to goals in the 3-1 loss.
After the game, the stopper was noticeably distraught, and it would be understandable if it took the 25-year-old some time to shake off a performance like that. However, his game is still prone to errors 10 months on from the final in Kiev, Ukraine.
Karius was highly rated during his time at Mainz and arrived at Liverpool in 2016 with a reputation as one of the best young goalkeepers in European football. At the moment, he has a long way to go before his reputation is back at that kind of level.
