Debunking the Myth: Why Liverpool Really Signed Giorgi Mamardashvili | OneFootball

The False Narrative Surrounding Giorgi Mamardashvili

There’s a myth that needs busting about Liverpool’s impending new arrival, Giorgi Mamardashvili.

It feels wrong to talk about the Georgian goalkeeper after Caoimhin Kelleher delivered yet another outstanding performance for the Reds at the weekend. But the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper’s future does seem to be away from Anfield. During the latest international break, he made it clear he was open to leaving Liverpool in the summer in a press conference ahead of his nation’s game against Greece.

“I made it clear in the last few years, I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out,” he told reporters. “The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper. From the outside looking in, it looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction. My ambition has always been clear in the last few seasons that I want to be a number one. Sometimes from the outside looking in, it looks like it is 100% my decision, but at times it is not always in my hands.”

When Kelleher will be able to do that at Liverpool is moot. So, the future appears to be Mamardashvili, a goalkeeper who is two and a half years younger and comes with a significant amount of European pedigree.

Why Mamardashvili is Comparable to Alisson

Nominated for the Lev Yashin Award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony this year. Which is no surprise Mamardashvili prevented 10.38 goals in all competitions for club and country last season. He is someone with a tall frame and brilliant reflexes who is very good at getting down quickly to make saves and playing on the line.

Out of goalkeepers who faced at least 150 shots in La Liga last season, Mamardashvili had the second best save percentage rate (72.67%). This season he has already won two Man of the Match awards for Valencia in just six matches. He’s also commanding in between the sticks. Last season, he averaged the second most aerial duels among goalkeepers in the league and had one of the best aerial duel success rate at 95.24%.

Photo: IMAGO

This season, he is among just three goalkeepers in the league who average at least 0.40 aerial duels per 90 and have a 100% success rate. One of those other goalkeepers is Thibaut Courtois. On top of that, he is not a goalkeeper who just plays on the line. He’s relatively quick and is capable of coming off his line in order to make challenges and interceptions. Last season, he averaged 1.5 interceptions per 90. This season he ranks third among goalkeepers in La Liga with 1.83 interceptions per 90.

For context, Alisson averaged 1.26 interceptions for Liverpool in the Premier League last season. So, he’s got great reactions and reflexes, can save his team goals consistently and great coming off his line as well. What else do you need?

The Mamardashvili Myth That Needs Busting

The one myth that has persisted about the Georgian is that he is not great with his feet. Although this notion isn’t necessarily true. On the surface, Mamardashvili averages just 10.54 short passes and 7 long passes per 90. He is a goalkeeper who tends to go long and those goalkeepers are often labelled as players who aren’t great with their distribution.

Going long can be a sign of hesitation or undecidedness by a goalkeeper. For context, Alisson averages 17.5 short passes per game and just 4.5 long passes. However, these numbers do not always reflect the complete truth. The reality is that Mamardashvili has been playing in teams who are very direct and like to go long. Georgia are a counter-attacking side who do not build up from the back. The same is true for Valencia, who are one of the most direct teams in La Liga.

Comparison and Potential

In fact, this season they have attempted 421 long balls in just six matches so far, which ranks them 7th overall in the league. Their average possession is also just 46%. Compare that to Liverpool, who have been playing out from the back for a long time and have an average possession of 59.4% and you are going to get varyingly different passing numbers from the two goalkeepers. For once, Alisson is going to have much better pass completion rates. Long passes are more risky and therefore have a higher likelihood of being incomplete. Short passes, on the other hand, have a higher likelihood of being completed.

Photo: IMAGO

With around 40% of Mamardashvili’s passes being long every game, it’s not a surprise to see that his pass completion is quite low in comparison to Alisson. However, I have taken a look at Mamardashvili’s short-passes as a sample and analysed his completion rate from short passes only from his last 14 matches. Out of the 157 short passes he attempted in those 14 matches, Mamardashvili misplaced just one pass. That means he had a 99.36% short pass completion rate while averaging 11.2 short passes per game.

In Alisson, last 14 games, he made 260 passes and misplaced 5 passes. That means he had a 98% pass completion rate while averaging 18.5 short passes per game. When you compare those numbers together, Mamardashvili’s passing game takes on a different light.

Obviously, there will remain a question mark whether he can play in a team that builds up from the back as this is not something he has ever done before. However, if we are looking at his short passing numbers, then there is real promise there. It’s clear Liverpool’s new signing is not at all bad with his feet. It’s just his team are not good enough for him to be able to utilise that side of his game. Perhaps, at Liverpool that might change.