Jamie Carragher believes “it’s crisis time” for Liverpool after their fourth straight Premier League defeat to Brentford.
Liverpool were beaten 3-2 on Saturday, which followed defeats to Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
Arne Slot has admitted Liverpool are yet to find an answer for teams utilising long balls and low blocks following the defeat to Brentford.
And former Liverpool defender Carragher agreed, stating that the Premier League champions need to improve their physicality in order to start turning the corner.
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Brentford outfought and outclassed Liverpool to earn a 3-2 victory over the Premier League champions
Carragher said: “Losing four games in a row for Brentford would be a disaster. 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.
“Liverpool have to look at the physicality and height within their team because, right now, I don’t think they have enough.”
Nev: Liverpool remind me of ‘all over the place’ Man Utd team
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville speaking on his podcast about Liverpool:
“Arne Slot’s Liverpool remind me a bit of my old Man Utd team.
“We went through mad periods where we always looked capable of scoring, but we were all over the place. One thing you can guarantee with Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz, Isak, Gakpo and others, they will score goals. But the others are responsible for being solid and not open all the time, and exposed. It sounds like starting from scratch, but sometimes you have to do that. When everything is crazy and chaotic, which it is for Liverpool right now, you just have to find a strong foundation.
“That means put players in there that can keep a narrow back four, prevent spaces, win duels, win set-pieces, and not give easy goals away. Play it forward a bit quicker than you have been and stop popping it through midfield. Be a bit more direct, knowing that the front three will win you games.
“Maybe it’s time for Arne Slot to simplify things. If he keeps playing Kerkez at left-back and Bradley at right-back and they are exposed in midfield, they will keep on getting the same results.
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On his podcast, Gary Neville says Liverpool’s recent form of four straight league defeats is a concern, not a blip
“I like the manager and his way of working; there doesn’t seem to be any panic. But he’s going to have to interfere with this. It’s a pattern of what they have become in this first two months of the season. They must narrow that back four and be a bit more safe in the way they play. Don’t open up as much, don’t go forward as much, but allow that front three to win you games.
“It’s not just a blip any more, it’s becoming a concern. They can’t be seven or eight points behind Arsenal.”
Slot: Liverpool have no answer to long balls and low blocks
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Arne Slot believes every referee in the world would have awarded a penalty for a foul on Cody Gakpo in Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford
Slot spoke openly about opponents sitting deep and going direct in the build-up to the fixture against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, and his side were punished via the same avenues on Saturday evening.
Dango Ouattara’s opener arrived from a Michael Kayode long throw in the first half, a threat Slot admitted Liverpool prepared for in detail during Friday’s training session, with Brentford also playing 64 long passes on the evening, their highest tally of the season so far.
“Quite a few things,” Slot said in his post-match press conference when asked what was the cause of Liverpool’s current struggles.
“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.
“Going 1-0 down does not help after five minutes. We are still, even today, when we don’t play well, able to score two goals.
“But you cannot compete, which we don’t do at the moment, because we concede too many goals. That is not only the defence, you do it with 11 players together.”
Your views: ‘Slot not the man to take Liverpool forward’
Gmac: Why didn’t Liverpool stop messing about and simply spend £35m on Marc Guehi at the start of the window and build on a solid defence instead of wasting over £100m on a “striker” they didn’t need. Now they are playing the same way expecting different results, madness.
AJames: Don’t underestimate the style change in the Premier League. Both City and Liverpool are relying on individuals to get something in games and it’s why Arsenal may run away with it. Possession control isn’t the remedy in this era. Time for three at the back for LFC? 1 vs 1 with teams?
Roach: We haven’t looked right in a while. These problems were evident last season. Even though we won the league, performances were often substandard and we were lucky enough to scrape wins which could quite easily been the opposite. I don’t think Slot is the man to take us forward.
Lee Ashley: They have messed around way too much with a title winning team!!! Additions to every squad in the summer transfer market are required and Liverpool should have added a few quality additions, but they loaded up on attacking players unnecessarily. Now we have an uneven squad, bought issues.
Ben10: Liverpool need to do nothing but concentrate on solidity. Drop an attacking midfielder and put Endo in front of the defence, alongside Gravenberch. Goals will come, the players are too talented not to create chances. Liverpool must protect the defence.
