Carra on Liverpool: I'm not watching a top team, it's a mess

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool are not playing like a top team after back-to-back defeats in the Premier League and Champions League – and has called on Arne Slot to “earn his money” and “fix” the issues.

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‘Wirtz needs to come out the team, it’s a mess’What Carra told Slot at the start of the season Liverpool’s issues in full

Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by Galatasaray in Istanbul on Tuesday night, which followed the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Reds showed a lot of the same issues from Selhurst Park in the Turkish capital – with high-profile mistakes at the back, defensive errors – and the situation was worsened by a double injury blow to goalkeeper Alisson Becker and striker Hugo Ekitike.

“I’m not watching a top team,” Carragher told CBS Sports. “Liverpool aren’t playing football at the moment, they are playing basketball. It is just end to end and I don’t think top teams play like that.

“I expressed that to the manager early on, he’ll know that a lot better than me. He is obviously a fantastic manager. But right now Liverpool went from, I would call them a workmanlike team last season, and they have sprinkled a little bit of stardust on it terms of the transfers that they have brought in.

“And they haven’t gained anything going forward but they have lost a lot defensively.

“I think for the manager now, last season was such a smooth ride for them, he’s now got to really earn his money.

“He did last season, won the Premier League, unbelievable. But there’s a few problems there that he has got to fix and it’ll be really interesting how he goes about it. because he’s spent a lot of money.

“Liverpool got battered by Newcastle in the second half of that game. Newcastle had 10 men. That can’t happen. Crystal Palace created seven big chances at the weekend. That’s more than any team has conceded in the Premier League all season. Liverpool are the champions.

“This has been coming. This is not a shock. And the manager needs to fix it.”

‘Wirtz needs to come out the team, it’s a mess’

One change Carragher would like to see to help fix Liverpool’s situation is the removal of Florian Wirtz from the starting line-up.

Wirtz came out of the team for the 1-0 Merseyside derby win over Everton but was reinstated for the Crystal Palace game. He is yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League or Champions League for Liverpool.

“Right now I don’t think the balance of the team is right and the obvious one that stands out is Florian Wirtz,” Carragher said.

“He’s just not at the races at all. He’s a young boy coming into a new league – he has got plenty of time to go as a Liverpool player but right now I think he needs to come out of the team, Liverpool go back to what they were last season and then go from there and build some confidence, build some defensive solidity.

“Because right now it is a mess. It’s not the losses, it is not the defeats. This has been coming from day one.”

What Carra told Slot at the start of the season

As per the above, Carragher mentioned that he warned Slot about Liverpool’s style of play after the opening game of the season against Bournemouth.

This is what the Sky Sports pundit said:

“Liverpool have had this problem. How many players were ahead of the ball – maybe eight players – when they were winning 2-1? That can’t happen. It’s absolutely shocking at this level.

“That is not right. It’s not. It’s only one game on top of the Community Shield – but I’ve watched enough football in my life. This idea that everyone bombs forward, it’s not for me. I don’t like it.

“At no time last week in the Community Shield did I ever feel Liverpool were in control of the game. You can draw 2-2 with Palace, that can happen. But it’s how easy Crystal Palace could get at Liverpool, how easy it was tonight.

“In the first half, Bournemouth should have been at least 2-0 up at one stage.

“There is definitely a problem that Arne Slot has to solve. People say they need a centre-back – a centre-back doesn’t fix that. He just takes Konate’s place.

“It’s about the make-up of the team with two attacking full-backs and a No 10 who is more interested in getting on the ball than defending like [Dominik] Szoboszlai was last season.

“If Liverpool continue like that, I don’t think they will win the league.”

Liverpool’s issues in full

The best ability is availability – and Liverpool now could be stretched in terms of numbers. Alisson limping off and missing the Chelsea game is a big worry having been crucial in Liverpool’s slender victories not just at the start of this season, but also in their Premier League title campaign last season.
Liverpool felt Hugo Ekitike‘s absence in the loss at Crystal Palace at the weekend and him limping off is another big blow, especially with Alexander Isak not 100 per cent fresh and with just one goal in five games.
With both injuries, Chelsea away at the weekend looks harder – even given Enzo Maresca’s side’s own problems.
Liverpool look vulnerable at the back. Ibrahima Konate put in another poor performance in Turkey, with his ‘hospital’ pass to Ryan Gravenberch nearly giving Galatasaray a second. He and the other Liverpool defenders could not deal with Victor Osimhen.
Liverpool also have some issues at right-back. Dominik Szoboszlai was exposed by Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz, who won the penalty off him. Jeremie Frimpong was criticised by Arne Slot for the late loss at Crystal Palace and was used as a winger in Turkey. Is it now time to give Conor Bradley a go? Then again, Slot has admitted he cannot play every game due to fitness reasons.
What is going on with Mohamed Salah? He looks a long way from the player he was last season, even with last term’s high standards. His minutes have not needed to be managed before – he last started on the bench of a Champions League game three years ago. If his minutes need to be managed, it is not a great sign. If he was dropped for poor performances, it is even worse.
Florian Wirtz still goes without a goal or an assist in the Premier League and the Champions League. Barring runs-off-the-ball statistics, his £100m fee is becoming hard to justify.
Liverpool’s luck seems to have run out. It has been two games in a row now where the late drama has not fallen their way, even with VAR. Are they regressing to the mean?
Liverpool’s midfield – such a huge plus for them last season – looks very different. Gravenberch is making costly errors and lost five out of his six duels. Wirtz lost nine out of his 13 duels. Alexis Mac Allister is still getting up to full fitness after a hampered pre-season.
One positive? They are still top of the Premier League. But how long for?