Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called it “crisis time” for the reigning Premier League champions after identifying clear flaws in the team’s tactical setup which have left Arne Slot openly befuddled.
Liverpool suffered a fourth straight league loss on Saturday night, becoming just the fourth defending champion to endure such a run. Yet, it was the manner of the defeat against Brentford which left so many concerned. They had seen it all before.
Slot’s side were once again undone by long balls and set pieces. This is Brentford’s strength—manager Keith Andrews was exclusively tasked with overseeing the club’s dead-ball strategy before taking over the hot seat from Thomas Frank in the summer—but an ever-expanding pool of Liverpool opponents have deployed this approach.
Manchester United and Chelsea both racked up season-high tallies of long passes in their recent victories against the Reds, leaving Slot to bemoan such a strategy from teams “with all their talented players.”
The Dutch boss worryingly conceded: “It is definitely that teams have a certain playing style against us; it is a very good strategy to play. We have not found an answer yet.”
Carragher blamed the lightweight profile of the squad for their failings in these robust aspects of the game. “Liverpool have to look at the physicality and height within their team because, right now, I don’t think they have enough,” fretted the retired centre back—who takes great pride in amassing more than 500 Premier League appearances despite standing at less than 6’ tall—on Sky Sports.
“Losing four games in a row for Brentford would be a disaster,” Carragher continued. “To see the champions do it with the expenditure in the summer means we’re in crisis time for Liverpool right now.
“There will be a lot of serious questions asked in the dressing room between the players and the coaching staff and the people above the manager. When they’ve looked at what they’ve spent, they’ll be looking for a lot more.”
Of the Liverpool stars being accused of frailty, several arrived in the summer. Florian Wirtz hasn’t quite caught up to the Premier League’s blood and thunder while Jeremie Frimpong is rarely fit enough to prove whether he can meet those demands. Even though Milos Kerkez thrived in a buccaneering Bournemouth side last term, the change of scenery has seemed to rob the fullback of any physical authority.
