Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has questioned whether the current squad can cope without Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker on top form
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher(Image: Paramount+)
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Jamie Carragher admits he is "really angry" with Liverpool's players as he questioned whether enough of them are capable of competing for top honours without the help of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker. And the Anfield legend fears the recent dreadful form could provide a snapshot of what life will be like when the trio who sparked a run of success in the past seven years eventually depart the club.
Liverpool suffered a new low of a dreadful season when they were humiliated 4-1 at home by PSV Eindhoven in their latest Champions League opening stage match on Wednesday evening.
It was a ninth defeat in 12 games in all competitions, their most losses over a 12-game spell since the 1953/54 campaign in which they were relegated from the top flight.
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Sections of the online Liverpool fanbase have called for Arne Slot to become the first Reds manager to be sacked after winning the championship, having led the team to a record-equalling 20th title six months ago.
Carragher, though, believes there is time for the Dutchman to turn things around despite the pressure reaching an almost intolerable level.
"Liverpool are not a sacking club, Liverpool are different to almost every other club in European football as the manager is the king," he said. "The managers get time. Liverpool have never sacked a manager who has won the league, never in their history.
"I couldn't believe at 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.
"I've always been in the camp of you stick with the manager. 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 can't go on any longer.
"I'm not there personally in terms of the manager but I know a lot of the supporters will be."
Carragher has instead pointed the finger at the majority of the Liverpool squad he believes are not assuming responsibility to atone for the individual shortcomings of Van Dijk and Salah in particular at present.
"Liverpool in 2018 under Klopp start this journey of becoming a great team and then Slot comes in, and we are now seven or eight years later," said Carragher.
"The catalyst for Liverpool at the very start of that run was Alisson, Van Dijk and Salah. Alisson is injured a lot now so doesn't play so much, but you are watching Van Dijk now and he's 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 are always looking for the leaders in your team to step up when things are not going well. I've been critical of Mo Salah off the pitch, I wanted him to come out and do an interview and speak to the Liverpool supporters about what the players are going to do, what is going on in the dressing room, giving supporters hope that things are going to improve.
"But I don't like criticising them on the pitch as they are absolute legends for what they have done, and their legs have just gone, especially Salah."
Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, Carragher added: "Van Dijk now can't help other players. He needs help himself. And that just means he's a normal centre-back, like I was at one stage. Maybe he's not super-human 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 when they carry you?
"Their (Van Dijk and Salah) season last season was off the scale and everybody else enjoyed that by winning the league and they are all league champions and have that on their cv.
"But when they (Van Dijk and Salah) are not there, where are the other players? That's why I get angry about when you talk about the manager - although that's inevitable and something could happen - but in terms of the players and the way they are performing now, that is not acceptable for Liverpool Football Club.
"I maybe thought this last season, but are some of them good enough if Liverpool want to win the biggest trophies? We saw them against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, we saw them against PSG away from home last season, woeful performances and they've been carried by some of the greatest players the club has ever had.
"This is maybe a snapshot of the future of Liverpool when Mo Salah moves on, when Virgil van Dijk moves on and when Alisson moves on."