Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has been filmed in an X-rated rant following his old side's 4-1 thrashing by PSV Eindhoven. The former Reds defender could not believe what was unfolding in front of his eyes at Anfield during their Champions League humiliation on Wednesday. And in the heat of the moment, the ex-England international explained why manager Arne Slot should be sacked for a certain decision.
Things go from bad to worse for Liverpool
Some Liverpool fans were calling for the sacking of Slot following his team's 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend, and now those naysayers have come out in force after their 4-1 drubbing by PSV. The Merseyside outfit set some unwanted records with their ninth loss in 12 games in all competitions, and with their current form, it is difficult to see where the wins are going to come from.
After the defeat, Slot said: "I think what has happened mainly with all the losses we had is that so many times if we have a good spell, we concede. And that moment changes the momentum. I think the thing we have to start doing is making sure that if we are in a better phase and we do create a chance, that we then also score the goals. That the scoreline is also positive. I think the mentality is great from these players as well. Apart from the quality, the mentality is also great. Otherwise, you can't go after three minutes, after losing on Saturday, three minutes down, 1-0 down, and then have a performance as we had the first half. That can only be possible. But their mentality, as they also reacted well after 2-1 down, because I think then we had our chances as well. So yeah, I don't think we are that far off, which sounds weird because the results tell us something different. But the games, the performances give me a different opinion about how we play than the scoreline does."
AdvertisementCarragher slams Liverpool star
After the encounter, a compilation video that captures Carragher's in-game reactions was posted on social media. In it, he criticises Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for his handball that led to PSV's first goal, forward Cody Gakpo, and, in particular, defender Ibrahima Konate. For the latter, he said in his diatribe that Slot should be sacked for continuing to pick the Frenchman in his starting line-ups despite making a string of mistakes this season.
He said: "Honest to god, I've had enough of them. That Konate, I mean, that's a sackable offence for the manager for f******g keep picking him. He should be sacked for that."
Slot's position at Liverpool becoming 'untenable'?
When Carragher had some time to reflect after the game, he made it clear that he doesn't think Slot should be sacked yet but the Dutchman is on thin ice. He also stated that Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are not having good seasons, but the onus is on some of their less high-profile names to stand up and be counted during this barren run.
He said on CBS Sports: "Liverpool is not a sacking club, Liverpool, I think, are different from almost every club in European football where the manager is the king, you know, the managers get time. Liverpool have never sacked a manager who's won the league, never in the history. They've all, you know, after a few years they've gone, they've resigned. I couldn't believe over the weekend that people were talking about the manager's job when I spoke to Liverpool supporters after losing at home to Nottingham Forest. It's only going to amplify now and I've always been in the camp of you stick with the manager because I'm angry with the players if I'm being totally honest, I'm really angry with the players but it does get to a stage with any manager at any club where I always use this word untenable, where it almost feels like it can't go on any longer.
"I'm not quite there yet personally in terms of the manager but I know a lot of supporters will be. But I've had a lot of time to think about it because I knew the game was over well before the final whistle. I think what you see now is Liverpool in 2018 under [Jurgen] Klopp starts this sort of journey being a great team and then Slot comes in and we're now, what are we, seven or eight years later. The catalyst for Liverpool at the very start of that run was Alisson, Van Dijk, and Salah. Alisson's injured a lot now, so he doesn't play so much but you're watching Van Dijk now, not the same player, and Mo Salah looks like his legs have gone. I don't like criticising them and I think some of the criticism of them this season as players has been harsh. You're always looking for your leaders in your team to step up when things are not going well."
AFPWhat comes next for Liverpool?
After this wretched run of form, this weekend's trip to West Ham now looks like a very daunting contest. Liverpool sit 12th in the table and desperately need a win to arrest this slide.
Incidentally, Carragher added that Liverpool have been "carried" by some of their greatest ever players in the past year or so and now that we are coming towards the end of the Salah, Van Dijk, and Alisson era, new heroes need to be made.
He added: "Now I've been critical of Mo Salah off the pitch, I want him to come out and do an interview tonight and speak to the Liverpool supporters about what the players are going to do, what's going on in the dressing room, giving the supporters hope that things are going to improve. But I don't like criticising them on the pitch because they're absolutely legendary what they've done and the legs have just gone, especially with Salah. Van Dijk now can't help other players. He needs help himself and that just means that he's a normal centre-back like I was at one stage, so maybe he's not superhuman right now. But they've been that good for the football club.
"I look at some of the others, step up! Can you only play well when they play well or they carry you? Their seasons last season were off the scale and everybody else enjoyed that win in the league and they're all league champions, they've got it on their CV and great. But when they're not there, where are they? Where are the others? Where are the other players? So that's why I get angry about talking about the manager, but it's inevitable and something could happen. But in terms of the players and the way they're performing now, that is not acceptable for Liverpool Football Club. I actually think, and maybe I thought this a little bit last season, are some of them good enough for Liverpool if Liverpool want to win the biggest trophies? We saw them at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. We saw them against PSG away from home last season. I mean, woeful performances and they've been carried by some of the greatest players the club have ever had. This is maybe a snapshot of the future of Liverpool when Mo Salah moves on, Virgil van Dijk moves on and Alisson moves on."