Liverpool’s loss to Manchester City was one to forget for so many reasons.
The Reds were brushed aside on Sunday in a game that showed a real gulf in quality, suggesting that retaining their title is very much wishful thinking.
Not many, if any at all, had a good game for Liverpool, with this one of the most disappointing performances of the season so far.
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Gary Neville did not hold back either throughout the game, with the former Man United player very vocal about who he thought was not good enough.
However, there was one player who did something so bad that it made him mute his microphone, with this player’s performance one of the reasons they lost.
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool lines up before the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Ibrahima Konate kept playing backwards
Liverpool’s defence has been a major issue at the start of the season, with the Reds conceding far too many goals.
There also just seems to be a lack of confidence at the back, and Ibrahima Konate in particular has been giving off this energy.
The Frenchman has not looked entirely comfortable all season, but he looked especially shaky against Man City, with even Neville having to mute himself due to how many times he passed the ball backwards.
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“Konate kept playing back to his goalkeeper and he kept playing back to other players,” he said on The Gary Neville Podcast.
“I mean, Konate, after about 10, 15 minutes, I was like, ‘how many touches has Konate had?’
“I went, obviously, I pressed my button there (to mute myself), you will have heard me. And he had 24, 25 touches.
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“And I said this about a year ago, you cannot, it’s not a tactic to let your centre back have the ball the most in the team”
Liverpool need to be more progressive
Against a team like Man City, it is hard to find space to play, but Liverpool have done it in the past, with very similar players too.
However, on Sunday, they gave them far too much respect and did not back themselves to take them on, hence why they kept playing backwards.
This is something that Arne Slot needs to change as Liverpool are better when they are on the front foot, with attack being their best form of defence.
Against Man City, though, they had all but accepted their fate before the whistle even went, which is one of the reasons so many fans are concerned as this has never been the case before, no matter how bad things got.