Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford shows why they have no chance of top four without new midfielder, says Jamie Carragher | Football News

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool have “no chance” of finishing in the top four without a new midfielder after a defense that has been “broken all season” was repeatedly cut in the 3-1 defeat by Brentford on Monday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were beaten by Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, missing the chance to climb the table and leaving sixth in the Premier League. The former defender feels he needs a big improvement to make the top four.

“This has been the theme of Liverpool all season,” Carragher said Sky Sports. “As soon as the intensity of the game increases, they can’t handle it. They have to play a slower type of game because if they’re not in the rush, they can’t keep up.

• ‘Liverpool need to spend £200m’
• ‘Not Jurgen Klopp’s team now’
• ‘Unforgivable record’
• ‘This result has arrived’

“Liverpool has had problems all season against physical teams. This is a team, don’t forget, that prides itself on the fact that intensity is our identity. They can’t handle it anymore at this point. It seems old. The team comes at the end.”

Although Liverpool’s success has been built on impressive recruitment, Carragher is frustrated that the problems in midfield have not been addressed – and fears they are becoming an unknown team.

“I don’t know what is happening at Liverpool in terms of midfield. Liverpool have bought one midfielder in four and a half years in Thiago. Now it will come again.

“Thiago is not a problem if the other two are full of energy and stop counterattacks. People talk about Jude Bellingham but Liverpool have no problem going forward, they need players to stop the opposition coming.

“Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho are good technical players but not like Jurgen Klopp’s players. Fabinho is getting old. Jordan Henderson hasn’t got his old energy, James Milner.

“The transfer committee and Jurgen Klopp have been praised more than any scouting or recruitment department in world football. This is down to him.

“To allow a team that competed for four trophies last season to fight for the top four because the midfield has only one mark in four years, they are really running on fumes. How is that allowed?

“They have signed Cody Gakpo. If Liverpool think they can finish in the top four without signing a midfielder in this window, they have no chance.

“When I watch Liverpool now, and certainly in midfield, it seems like Jurgen Klopp’s team is turning into something else.

“The only team that reminds me is when I played against Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. Yes, they are a very good football team. But the real pace and physicality, the team can’t handle it. They don’t win anymore.

“I don’t know if there is an influence from Pep Lijnders, who is Klopp’s second and has a big say in what is going on, maybe the Dutch way of thinking, taking players on the ball, thinking that Liverpool should keep tweaking it because people are used to them .

“For me, since Klopp’s time against Tottenham, teams are running all over the field. When I don’t see Liverpool running and closing now and they still play with this high line, it’s as if it’s not Liverpool. team.

“It’s not Jurgen Klopp’s team now and I want to know why.”

‘Liverpool need to spend £200m’

Carragher believes the midfield problem will require significant spending in the transfer market if it is to be resolved.

“Liverpool have to be big in the summer. You think about what Manchester United and Chelsea did in the summer and it’s still not even close, so it shows the funds you need to compete at the top of the league.

“Liverpool over the years have sold people and bought people, but now Liverpool have to spend £200m and I’m not saying that because that’s the secret of success. A lot of teams spend money and it doesn’t always work.

“Liverpool should sign three midfielders, I would say. Not all of them should play. But Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are out of contract, as well as James Milner. Thiago’s age, who has quite a lot of injuries, Jordan. Henderson and Fabinho.

“Liverpool need three midfielders and they will be at least £40m or £50m each. The important thing is that Jude Bellingham is a Georginio Wijnaldum type who can protect the back four and stop people running into the defence.

We talked about Virgil van Dijk being one of the best in the world for five years and now we’re saying he’s not the best. But I don’t think he’s a very different player. It doesn’t matter how good you are as a defender but if you don’t get protection, you don’t have a chance.”

‘Unforgivable’

This was evident at Brentford, where Liverpool’s vulnerability was all too familiar.

“It’s nothing new for Liverpool defensively. They’ve been collapsing all season. It’s very easy to go through the middle. I think they’ve had more chances than any other team in the Premier League this season. That’s really unforgivable.”

In fact, the stats show that two teams in the Premier League have had more chances – but none of them are competing at the top end of the table. The difference between Liverpool and the rest of the top six is ​​this.

Klopp’s side have now had 51 clear-cut chances in the Premier League this season. Incredibly, that number is more than double that of the five teams at the top of the table.

‘It happened three or four times a game’

Brentford’s opener was actually an own goal by Ibrahima Konate, but it came after a corner which Alisson forced, after denying Bryan Mbeumo one-on-one. The striker ran behind Van Dijk and passed in the right channel.

“It’s the first time they’ve scored from a corner this season, but it’s not the first time they’ve gone against it and where the corner came from.

“I thought that there was no pace from Virgil van Dijk, but he couldn’t walk. Van Dijk was just not ready for the ball at the back, then he started to stand up.

“Even at best, the opposition has passed once a game. Now it has happened three or four times a game. They have given too much to do so often this season.”

The second goal was a header from Yoane Wissa, a player who had already seen two goals disallowed, the second just a few minutes earlier. Once again, it was a familiar route to goal as he found space at the far post with Trent Alexander-Arnold not close enough.

“If you look back at Trent Alexander-Arnold at the back post, Ollie Watkins scored a goal like this against him for Aston Villa a few games ago,” explained Carragher. “He’s in the wrong position, he’s worried about what’s behind him.”

Klopp made three changes at half-time and that helped a little.

“They need to make a change because it was an unacceptable 45 minutes from Liverpool. Andy Robertson, with energy and a bombing drive forward on the left, brought something in five minutes that was unfortunately lacking in the first half.”

But Liverpool’s hopes of a comeback were dashed by another defensive error. Konate was uncharacteristically weak as he tried to stop Mbeumo’s attention and the Brentford man finished past Alisson.

‘This result has arrived’

“It’s another example where they can’t cope physically. The big question is whether Brentford will get another counter-attack. It’s happened time and time again with Liverpool this season.”

Where does this leave Liverpool? These two previous wins may have masked the problem as Carragher felt fortunate to beat Leicester last week. “On Friday, Liverpool were lucky to get anything,” he said.

“These results have come. Liverpool have taken results without looking convincing. I feel like these results will be there every four or five weeks. I don’t think this will change between now and the end of the season.

“They look like they score a lot of goals, that’s what I’ll say. But they also look like they concede goals. To be neutral, they’re entertaining. But I still think Liverpool need a lot of improvement if they want to finish in the top four.”

Start in the middle.