The ECHO have evaluated Ibrahima Konate in their end-of-season ratings series.
Ibrahima Konate began the season with Joel Matip as his main rival for a spot in Liverpool’s defence. However, by the end of the season, Jarell Quansah had surpassed him.
During a season marked by fluctuating fortunes for the France international, a disappointing period between mid-March and May led to Quansah becoming Jurgen Klopp’s preferred partner for captain Virgil van Dijk.
Quansah seized this opportunity so effectively that he is now in contention for a spot in England’s European Championships squad, having been included in the provisional 30-man list.
End-of-season Ratings:
Konate ended his term appearing as a player struggling with both fitness and form. This decline can perhaps be traced back to a muscle injury he sustained during a 5-1 victory over Sparta Prague in the Europa League in March.
The les Bleus defender was taken off as a precaution at half-time but never quite regained his previous form after returning from a five-game absence. This was despite Klopp’s assurances at the time that the issue was not serious.
Konate’s twenty-two Premier League appearances were the most in his three full seasons since joining from RB Leipzig. However, he might feel this number should have been higher, especially since Matip’s season was cut short by an ACL rupture in early December.
The reason it wasn’t higher is partly due to Quansah’s impressive performances, but also because Konate struggled for form in the closing weeks.
He had a tough time in a miserable Merseyside derby defeat to Everton, the first at Goodison Park in 14 years, and also had difficult games against Atalanta, Sheffield United, and Crystal Palace.
A red card at Arsenal added to a forgettable afternoon at the Emirates as the Reds lost 3-1. However, his best performance of the season came against Arsenal at Anfield, where he expertly managed the right side, allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to play more centrally.
Balancing the role of a right-sided centre-half at Anfield is challenging, especially when Alexander-Arnold is given the freedom to roam.
Konate didn’t always look comfortable in this role. Sometimes his pace and power enabled him to control that area effectively, but at other times, he seemed cumbersome and unsure.
He was perhaps fortunate to remain on the pitch after cynically dragging back an Everton counter-attack while already on a caution in the Anfield Merseyside derby in October. Klopp’s immediate substitution of him for Joel Matip indicated the manager’s agreement with this assessment.
“Ibrahima, could have gone, yes,” Klopp later conceded. “It could have happened obviously and then we took him off and from that moment we were solid and compact.”
Konate, alongside match-winner Van Dijk, played a crucial role in keeping Chelsea at bay as an injury-ravaged Liverpool team secured the Carabao Cup at Wembley in February.
Despite making more appearances this season, Liverpool are still waiting for the level of consistency that would establish the Frenchman as one of the top defenders in Europe.
Now 25 years old, Konate’s potential remains significant. The next step in his development awaits under new head coach Arne Slot.
End-of-season Rating: 5
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