You may remember Bill Shankly once spoke about moulding Liverpool into a "Bastion of Invincibility".
Today we got another reminder that all aspirations to invincibility have been long since shaken off, as Liverpool have rewarded under-performing goalkeeper Simon Mignolet with a new five year contract.
Mignolet has long since fallen out of favour with Liverpool supporters, so the fan reaction to the news ranged from furious to disbelief. Here is a section of that response:
@LFC @SMignolet pic.twitter.com/WHUmFQtPuj
— júlia. #RF100 (@gigibuffonz) January 18, 2016
@GoonerPresident @LFC @SMignolet pic.twitter.com/QpotjdaL41
— júlia. #RF100 (@gigibuffonz) January 18, 2016
Exec brain storm session at LFC HQ post Manu defeat
We need to put a smile back on the fans faces
Think guys
Announce the Mignolet deal!— hewonitfrombrock (@wonitfrombrock) January 18, 2016
So there we are...playing Steven Caulker at striker. Then Mignolet comes out and gets a new deal...and we call ourselves...
The Aristocrats— B (@NTXZO) January 18, 2016
Somebody should come up with a good joke about Mignolet dropping the pen when he went to sign his new deal so we can steal it.
— The Legacy Fan Offside (@LFCOffside) January 18, 2016
not pictured: Ian Ayre tossing Mignolet a pen to sign his new deal, Mignolet dropping it while Yakety Sax plays in the background
— nate (@natefc) January 18, 2016
Oddly, Mignolet kept more clean sheets than anyone else in the Premier League in 2015. His statistics this season are somewhat less impressive:
United have had four shots on target against Liverpool this season.
Scored four goals.— Andrew Beasley 💙 (@BassTunedToRed) January 17, 2016
The opposition scored with its first shot on-target in the last nine (9!) PL games that Liverpool have conceded in.
— nate (@natefc) January 18, 2016
United, Arsenal, West Ham, Watford, West Brom, Newcastle, Man City, Palace, Chelsea all scored on LFC with their first shot on-target.
— nate (@natefc) January 18, 2016
Perhaps this is simply a case of Liverpool ensuring they can recoup their transfer fee on Mignolet, or Jurgen Klopp attempting to give his struggling goalkeeper a boost in confidence.
Liverpool fans would hope so, because the prospect of five more years with Mignolet is unsettling.
