Billy Koumetio’s loan spell got off to a rocky start this weekend, with the Liverpool defender receiving a red card after 52 minutes on his debut.Koumetio arrived at Anfield from US Orléans in 2018 and returned to his native France on loan to USL Dunkerque this season.
Themove to Ligue 2 comes after an abortive spell with Austria Wien last time out, with his contract terminated in January due to a lack of playing time and financial formalities.
Butwhile the move to Dunkirk can be seen as an opportunity for Koumetio, the 20-year-old’s debut has been far from what he had hoped for.
Just52 minutes into Saturday’s match against Grenoble, the centre-back received his second of two yellow cards, reducing his new team to 10 men.
Playing as a left centre-back in a three-man defence, Koumetio’s yellow came from unnecessary challenges on the left flank.Before his first yellow card, Grenoble had already had a chance with Pape Meissa Ba for careless possession, while Dunkerque goalkeeper Arnaud Balijon set off to save his team.
Hissecond booking came after he was turned wide by Lenny Joseph and struggled with the winger before receiving a lunge from behind which saw him miss the ball.
Therecan be no complaints from Koumetio, who will miss the Dunkirk match against Rodez AF on Saturday evening.”Because football is full of surprises, the ten of us were better,” Balijon told the club’s official website after the match.
“We have found more solutions, this could be something to study.”Koumetio – who is physically and technically skilled and has an excellent eye for a pass – has often shown concentration problems in recent years.
Thehope is that he learns from his difficult start in Ligue 2 and returns much stronger, with his recent lack of playing time following pre-season with Liverpool U21s likely a factor.Dunkerque, promoted from Championnat National last season, are currently 17th in the 20-team French second division, with just one win in six matches so far.
