Jamie Carragher criticized Ibrahima Konate's persistent positioning errors after Liverpool's 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, saying Konate is "always the wrong side" of Ollie Watkins
23:25, 15 May 2026Updated 23:26, 15 May 2026
Jamie Carragher pointed the finger at Ibrahima Konate
Jamie Carragher pointed the finger at Ibrahima Konate(Image: Getty)
Jamie Carragher identified a persistent positional problem with Ibrahima Konate during Friday's 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, a night that left Liverpool's Champions League qualification still unresolved heading into the final weekend of the Premier League season.
Carragher's analysis centered on Ollie Watkins, who scored twice to cause Liverpool's defense serious problems throughout the evening. The former Liverpool defender pointed out that on Watkins' first goal, which came just after another was disallowed for offside before finding the net legally moments later, the opportunity itself stemmed from a familiar failing in Konate's positioning.
Reflecting on the offside call, Carragher, who also launched a scathing attack on Alexis Mac Allister's 'embarrasing' behavior , noted that Watkins had made a poor run, but Konate's positioning had still given the England striker an opening he should never have had.
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"Looking back at this, yes it's offside, but if you see that angle again, he's actually in his own half, and Konate is four or five yards in front of him. If he was a lot cleverer with his run there, Ollie Watkins, and he stays in the half, he's got a great opportunity," Carragher said.
The broader point Carragher made was that the problem was not isolated to a single moment. He argued that Konate's errors were systemic, recurring and entirely predictable given his habit of starting from the wrong position.
"The reason Konate gets in these situations so often, is because he's in the wrong position initially, and that's why we've seen Watkins get down these channels so often. He's always the wrong side of him," he said.
Ollie Watkins scored twice against Liverpool
Ollie Watkins scored twice against Liverpool(Image: Getty)
It was a damning assessment of a defender whose future at the club remains unresolved. Konate has less than 50 days remaining on his current contract, and despite claiming last month that he and the club were "close to an agreement," David Ornstein reported earlier this week that the situation has reached a stalemate.
Manager Arne Slot declined to offer clarity on the situation in his pre-match press conference, saying only: "If there is a resolution, then we will tell the world. At the moment, we will share it the moment that it is confirmed."
The defeat itself was damaging on multiple levels. Aston Villa's 4-2 victory saw them leapfrog Liverpool to secure Champions League football with a game to spare, while Liverpool remain fifth, just four points ahead of Bournemouth, who have two games remaining, and six ahead of Brighton in the same situation. What had looked like a comfortable position earlier in the season has become genuinely precarious.
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final First Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Liverpool FC at Parc des Princes on April 8, 2026 in Paris, France
Ibrahima Konate's contract is set to expire at Liverpool this summer(Image: Getty Images)
Set pieces proved catastrophic for Liverpool once again. Three of Villa's four goals originated from dead-ball situations, continuing a trend that has been one of the defining problems of Slot's first full season in charge.
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The manager acknowledged the scale of the issue after the final whistle, saying, "We've conceded far too many goals but we also didn't score too many goals although two away at Villa Park is not too bad. But we conceded four and three out of four from set pieces and that's too much."
Slot was equally candid about the manner in which the game unraveled. "We had control over large parts of the game but not after the 2-1 anymore. That's also why they scored a 3-1 although it was from a set piece not open play. There was a part of the game where we definitely struggled with their pace, quality, and intensity," he said.
He confirmed Liverpool now face a must-win situation at Brentford on May 24. "We are under full pressure although it feels we have been under full pressure the whole season," Slot said.