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Jamie Carragher. | Getty Images
Liverpool fell to a 1-0 loss against Galatasaray in the Champions League last 16 first leg.
Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool can overturn the deficit against Galatasaray in the Champions League - but has ‘no hope’ if the Reds draw Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
Arne Slot’s side’s 1-0 loss to the Turkish champions in the last 16 first leg leaves their European ambitions hanging in the balance. Mario Lemina’s seventh-minute goal proved the difference in Istanbul and while Liverpool had chances and a goal disallowed for VAR, they did not do enough to win the encounter.
The return clash takes place at Anfield next week and Liverpool will remain favourites to go through. But they will potentially face European champions PSG, who knocked Liverpool out of the competition last season, or Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
Speaking on CBS Sports, Carragher feels that Liverpool’s summer spending of around £450 million has backfired after winning the Premier League title last season. The Kop legend said: “I don't think Galatasaray are a great team. They are still a team Liverpool should beat and go through so 98 per cent, it was 99 a couple of weeks ago. But this is a worry for the manager and the team. What we saw [on Tuesday] was what we saw earlier in the group stage away at Galatasaray. This team is a million miles that we would be talking about them in the same light we're talking about Bayern Munich right now.
“That was the whole point of Liverpool spending £400 million in the summer, the next step was going from winning the Premier League to winning the Champions League. We're now talking about a team who have got to change a deficit against Galatasaray, which I think will happen but I don't have any hope for Liverpool going any further than the next round if it is Paris Saint-Germain.
“It's not just a defeat, it's the performances from Liverpool this season are a big worry for the manager. He has tried everything in lots of ways but nothing seems to work and at no stage, I've felt Liverpool are in control of a match. It's either end-to-end basketball, so he wanted to stop that and change that and it just became slow, boring and predictable.
“Do I think another manager could come in - or any manager - and change that? I don't think it dramatically changes, I really do think the makeup of the squad, the lack of options in certain areas is a big problem. It's not just all about the manager but as we know, the manager carries the can.”
Slot’s position as Liverpool head coach remains under pressure among sections of fans. The Reds sit just sixth in the Premier League table, with their title defence being over by the start of December.
There is a clamour from some supporters to part ways with Slot and appoint Anfield hero Xabi Alonso, who was part of Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League-winning team. Asked if there is more noise because Alonso is available, Carragher replied: “I think so, that's fair because of his history at Liverpool and he did such a remarkable job at Bayer Leverkusen. We know [Real] Madrid didn't go well but he'll be better for that experience.
“The job he did at Leverkusen was not just a good job, it's one of those jobs that you look at and think: 'That's not supposed to happen'. Him being on the market does intensify the pressure; maybe not from the club but from the supporters because they have got a love affair with Xabi Alonso because of 2005.”
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