When Brad Jones was named as the goalkeeper for Liverpool's 3-0 loss against Manchester United, it seemed as if the rest of Simon Mignolet's season was to be spent in the doldrums. However, Mignolet now looks a shadow of his former self and rather bafflingly, lies second in the Premier League clean sheets list despite shaky form for the first few months of the campaign.
Since returning against Burnley on Boxing Day, when Brad Jones was forced off injured, Mignolet has conceded just six goals in nine games. Showcasing his natural reflexes, the 'keeper also seems much more confident when commanding his defence. Against West Ham, and most notably Andy Carroll, on Saturday, Mignolet organised his defence seemlessly as they thwarted the 6'4 target man. His leadership and his performance on a whole was drastically different to those in which he seemed likely to mke an error whenever the ball came within a couple of feet of him.
Other notable performances Mignolet has put in since returning came against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup semi final. Conceding just two goals in 210 minutes against the league leaders, both which were from set plays, Mignolet did well to keep Chelsea out on numerous occasions. His best save over those two games was undoubtedly from a deflected Diego Costa shot, Mignolet quickly throwing his legs to his left to prevent the goal whilst he also thwarted the very same Spaniard from close-range in the same game, sticking out a leg to deny him giving the Blues the lead.
It is almost certain that the short spell out of the team helped Mignolet. Speaking recently of the period, the Belgian keeper said "I think it helped. I reflected on my game and looked at what I need to improve on to solidify my place in the team. All I can do now is work as hard as possible and show what I am capable of."
The introduction of a back three has certainly helped Mignolet's form, with Lucas Leiva offering his defence more protection in defensive midfield as opposed to Steven Gerrard and the whole backline seems much improved. Mamadou Sakho looks to now be the main man in defence for Liverpool, with the Frenchman winning 100% of his tackles against West Ham and adding solidity and consistency at the back.
Questions are still asked about Mignolet's distribution, in particular his goal kicks, however Emre Can's ball-playing ability in his new found centre back position helps the Belgian as Can knows when to use his goalkeeper and when not to put him under pressure. This is a quality often found lacking in the likes of Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren and Kolo Toure.
The recent improvement in form is likely to see Liverpool wait until the summer to sign a new goalkeeper, with only days left in the transfer window. Brendan Rodgers is said to be "delighted" with Mignolet's recent performances, meaning the Reds will delay pursuing rumoured signings such as Australian Matthew Ryan, until the end of the season.
For now Mignolet, will continue to seek consistency in his goalkeeping as his side press for domestic and European glory this season, but in the long-term he will be hoping that he can prove he was worth the £9 million fee that the Reds paid Sunderland for his services in the summer of 2013.