Jamie Carragher has warned that Liverpool will not win the Premier League this season unless Arne Slot quickly addresses the defensive problems that nearly cost them on the opening night.
The Reds eventually beat Bournemouth 4-2 at Anfield, but the scoreline did not tell the full story. Summer signing Hugo Ekitike marked his debut with a fine finish before Cody Gakpo doubled the lead early in the second half. At that stage, Liverpool looked comfortable, but Carragher was left stunned by what happened next.
Antoine Semenyo twice exposed gaping holes in the defence, first racing through on the counter to make it 2-1 and then drilling a superb strike to level the game. Suddenly the champions were hanging on as Bournemouth sensed an upset. Only Federico Chiesa’s late goal, his first in the Premier League, and Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time strike spared Slot’s blushes.
Carragher, on punditry duty for Sky Sports, was blunt in his assessment. “Liverpool will not win the league if they play like that. The way they are set up leaves the centre backs totally exposed. It is absolutely shocking at this level.”
The former defender highlighted how easy it was for Bournemouth to slice through Slot’s team, comparing it to their struggles against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. “At no stage have Liverpool looked in control under Slot,” Carragher added. “I do not like this idea that everyone bombs forward. Eight players ahead of the ball when you are 2-1 up is madness.”
Ibrahima Konate endured a difficult evening alongside Virgil van Dijk, but Carragher argued that the issue is not about individuals. Instead he believes the Dutch manager’s system is simply leaving his backline too open.
Liverpool have signed teenager Giovanni Leoni to strengthen their options and continue to pursue Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. Yet Carragher is adamant that unless Slot rethinks his tactics, the Reds will be vulnerable and their title defence could unravel before it has even begun.
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