Reina Must Stay
Good goalkeepers are as hard to find as are top class strikers, but Liverpool are in danger of losing a very good goalkeeper in Pepe Reina if you are to lead the national tabloids. Liverpool have been blessed over the years with top class keepers from the days of Elisha Scott, Tommy Lawrence, Ray Clemence, Bruce Grobbelaar through to Pepe Reina.
Reina joined Liverpool in the summer of 2005 to replace the hero of Istanbul, Jerzy Dudek. The Spaniard has not disappointed with his excellent displays in goal highlighted by his own heroics in the FA Cup Final penalty shootout against West Ham United in 2006.
Reina has been as consistent a performing goalkeeper in the Premiership in the last 10 years, but in the last couple of seasons his standards have dropped slightly encouraging some so-called experts to criticise the Spaniard and deem him not good enough for Liverpool.
Reina did made a few uncharacteristic mistakes in recent years but goalkeeping mistakes are always highlighted more than any other player. For people to think Reina is not good enough for Liverpool need their head looked at. His record and consistent number of clean sheets over the years is second to none and Liverpool will be a lot poorer without him between the sticks.
Pepe has amazing agility and commands his penalty box with confidence as he consistently helps his defenders out by coming off his line to collect high balls. Reina must be the best keeper in European football at distributing the ball to set up attacks with precise accuracy with both feet and by throwing to colleagues which is a unique talent in a goalkeeper’s repertoire.
People have taken Reina’s talent for granted and like all good things, you don’t miss it until they are gone. But Liverpool have a relatively young team and the loss of Jamie Carragher is huge loss for Liverpool’s defence, and if Liverpool were to lose Reina’s experience too then you would fear for Liverpool next season.
Since the end of the season the rumour mills go into overdrive and Reina has been in constant speculation of a return to his homeland. Barcelona were the favourites but the news that their number one goalkeeper Valdes seems to be staying for another year was music to the ears of most Liverpool fans, and hopefully Reina will stay at Anfield.
Names as replacements for Reina have been Stoke’s Begovic and Sunderland’s Mignolet, but with the greatest of respect they are not as good as Reina and like many players lost to Liverpool in recent years, Liverpool will be poorer off. The loss of Alonso, Masherano and Torres to name the most notable has left Liverpool slipping out of the top four and out of the Champions League. Suarez has provided a touch of quality that Liverpool need but he looks like the latest world class player to leave Anfield as Liverpool struggle to hold onto their best players.
But great teams are built around a strong defence the loss of Reina would be a massive loss for Liverpool. Reina is in his prime in terms of a goalkeeper’s age and his experience will be invaluable to Liverpool over the coming season as he knows what is required at Anfield.
The summer will come and go and so will many players but hopefully Pepe Reina will not be one of them as Liverpool try to improve on last season after an encouraging second half to the season.
The Kopite View 
Mate, again its absolute fatal to screem for the stay of a persistence dip ‘downwardSloping’ in form of class. He’s the only stopper who defies the saying of keepers that the older u become the better u’d be but #Reina is contrary to that saying. Reina has been flopped! It was rather the old legend #Carragher who stabilized the b4 not reina. He even cost us not to get last 4 due to his reckless errors espcially the fucking van persie win at anfield. #Reina shld fuck off! Leave us and rodgers shld replace him with both #Mignolet and #Begovic. Simple!
I don’t think it is critical that he stays but I would prefer him to stay as good goalkeepers are hard to find nowadays. Liverpool need experience as they have a very young team and Reina provides that experience. Reina showed towards the end of the season why he was once considered one of the top goalkeepers and if he was so bad why would Barcelona be interested in signing him.