Bruce Grobbelaar labels Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet 'worse than Dracula'

'...because at least Dracula comes out of his coffin'

In the run up to Liverpool’s Champions League fixture against Ludogrets tonight, club icon Bruce Grobbelaar has pointed out the club’s main problem for the poor results recently: goal keeper Simon Mignolet. Grobbelaar who won six league titles with the Reds from 1984-1991 told the BBC the Belgian’s “weaknesses have been exposed” this year.

He continued to criticise the 26-year-old for lacking authority in the penalty area: “He doesn't command his area.” ”I've likened Mignolet to worse than Dracula because at least Dracula comes out of his coffin now and then. He seems to stay on his line and that's it. That whole area, not just the six-yard area, is the goalkeeper's.”

Grobbelaar points out the fact despite Liverpool finishing second in the league last year, they conceded 52 goals last year. The reason that this didn’t grab anyone’s attention according to the 57-year-old was because Uruguay striker Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge kept scoring. Suarez went on to become the League’s top-scorer of the League with 31 goals and Sturridge finishing in second with 25 goals.

Since the departure of Suarez to Barcelona last summer and Sturridge suffering from injuries since the beginning of the year, the problem has revealed itself. Grobbelaar: “Any team that lets in 52 [50] goals should never be in second position in the first place,”

“That was masked and brushed over because of the brilliance of Suarez and Sturridge, scoring you so many goals.” “You have got to shore up the back. Get yourself someone in goal who can actually only let in 30 goals a season, or fewer than 30 goals.”

Liverpool conceded 18 goals so far this season and currently hold 12 place in the Premier League.

A win tonight will be vital for the side of Brendan Rodgers if they want keep their chances of reaching the knock-out stage of the tournament alive.