Jamie Carragher insisted Liverpool boss Arne Slot bought it ‘massively incorrect’ towards PSG within the Champions League, whereas highlighting the continued underperformance of one in every of their key gamers.
Liverpool have been overwhelmed 2-0 within the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night time, with Want Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring for holders PSG.
The holders dominated all through the match and will have loved a wider margin of victory, whereas Liverpool did not muster a shot on the right track.
Liverpool had come into the match of the again of a 4-0 FA Cup defeat by Man Metropolis on the weekend, with under-pressure boss Slot responding by switching to a again 5.
Talking on CBS Golazo post-match, Carragher described the gulf between Liverpool and PSG as ‘startling’ and claimed Slot’s tactical change had truly made his aspect extra open.
He claimed the set-up uncovered Liverpool’s getting older captain Virgil van Dijk, however highlighted the continued underperformance of Ibrahima Konate alongside him, labelling his performances this season as being ‘terrible’.
Jamie Carragher has claimed Liverpool boss Arne Slot bought it ‘massively incorrect’ towards PSG
Carragher additionally highlighted the continued struggles of Ibrahima Konate, who he claimed ‘makes a mistake each match’
‘The supervisor tried one thing, however he bought it massively incorrect tactically about how he went about it.
‘It is simple for me to say that after the occasion, that is what we do, we’re pundits, we converse after the sport.
‘He went about it with the again 5 all incorrect, they have been truly extra open with a again 5 than with a again 4, as a result of they went man-to-man all around the pitch, and the three centre-backs needed to cowl all the width of the pitch.
‘Watching Virgil van Dijk tonight in the midst of a again three, usually, at a sure age, you suppose: ‘Center of a again three is ideal for me, everyone seems to be in place, you might be getting safety from the again 5.’
‘This was totally different. Defenders have been leaping into midfield with nobody to mark and Van Dijk, at 34, needed to maintain operating throughout and he could not do it.
‘Individuals have criticised Van Dijk this season for his performances, and I feel that is harsh.
Virgil van Dijk was defended by Carragher, who insisted the getting older Liverpool captain had been left additional uncovered by Slot switching to a again 5
PSG took management of the quarter-final by profitable the primary leg 2-0 with a dominant efficiency
‘He performs each sport, Konate subsequent to him has been terrible all season and was poor once more tonight. He makes a mistake in each sport, that is not simple to play with that.
‘I feel Van Dijk has been one in every of Liverpool’s finest gamers, however tonight on this again three, I’ve by no means seen him so uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt.
‘I feel he’ll be pleading with Arne Slot to by no means play that system once more, he discovered it so robust.
‘However it’s not simply Liverpool getting it incorrect tactically. PSG have been completely out of this world. It was like watching Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.’
Regardless of struggling a 2-0 defeat within the first leg, Slot claimed post-match that his aspect nonetheless have an opportunity within the tie forward of the return fixture at Anfield on Tuesday.
The Dutchman, nevertheless, conceded his aspect had been in ‘survival mode’ for a lot of the match on the Parc des Princes.
‘We have been in survival mode for giant components of the sport however perhaps additionally the interval of the season we’re in, we’re in survival mode,’ Slot stated post-match.
‘PSG was the higher workforce however we did not hand over and that’s the reason we nonetheless have an opportunity. They stored us alive by not scoring a couple of open probabilities.
‘We tried many occasions to get them excessive, however they have been in a position to play by us after we went man-to-man. I feel that occurred within the second half as effectively.
‘There have been a couple of occasions with gamers in promising positions.’
Liverpool will likely be again in motion on Saturday towards Fulham within the Premier League, with the Reds battling to qualify for subsequent season’s Champions League.
