Jamie Carragher sends strong message to Arne Slot as Liverpool’s ‘basketball football’ warning comes true after three straight defeats
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has delivered an unflinching assessment of Arne Slot’s side after a turbulent fortnight that saw the Reds slump to three consecutive defeats across all competitions. The former defender believes the team’s problems have been “coming since day one” and insists Slot must urgently tighten up his system during the international break if Liverpool are to rediscover their balance and authority.
Despite beginning the campaign with seven straight wins, Liverpool’s performances have raised eyebrows among observers, with many noting the side’s tendency to leave themselves wide open defensively. That issue, long masked by late goals and attacking flair, has now been brutally exposed.
Slot’s men suffered stoppage-time heartbreak twice in a matter of days, with Crystal Palace and Chelsea both snatching dramatic late winners Eddie Nketiah’s clinical strike at Selhurst Park and Estevão’s decisive effort at Stamford Bridge flipping Liverpool’s early-season habit of last-minute triumphs on its head.
Carragher, speaking after the midweek Champions League defeat to Galatasaray, didn’t mince his words when analysing Liverpool’s recent slump.
“Liverpool aren’t playing football at the moment, they are playing basketball,” he said. “It is just end to end and I don’t think top teams play like that.”
Carragher’s remarks echoed his concerns from the very start of the season, when he questioned Slot directly following Liverpool’s opening-day win against Bournemouth. At the time, the new manager’s approach appeared exciting and adventurous but Carragher was already uneasy about how exposed the team looked without the ball.
“I remember saying to Arne Slot after that first game against Bournemouth, even though Liverpool won, they looked far too open,” Carragher recalled on Sky Sports. “I said it because you could just see the spaces. When Liverpool go forward, they leave so much behind them, and I worried that better teams would exploit that.”
Fast forward two months, and those warnings have proven prophetic. On his new Sky Sports show, Super Sunday Extra Time, Carragher doubled down on his earlier criticism, insisting Liverpool’s chaotic style is undermining their quality.
Chelsea came into the match at Stamford Bridge with a patched-up defence, suffering further injuries to Benoît Badiashile and young full-back Josh Acheampong during the game. Yet despite their opponent’s issues, Liverpool failed to impose control, instead allowing the Blues to play through them repeatedly.
“It is far too easy to play through Liverpool and get at them,” Carragher continued. “It’s a tough place to go, Chelsea, but with the team Chelsea had out, that’s a game Liverpool should have won, particularly after going 1-1.”
The ex-Reds vice-captain broke down Estevão’s 94th-minute winner to illustrate his point, highlighting a breakdown in defensive organisation and concentration.
“When the ball gets switched, the left winger for Liverpool is behind the full-back!” he exclaimed. “Andy Robertson is a really experienced player and I’m not sure he had enough in this situation as well. That can’t happen at this level. That kind of detail, that kind of positioning that’s what decides matches.”
Carragher also pointed to deeper structural issues, suggesting that Liverpool’s midfield setup under Slot leaves too much space in transition, with the team’s attacking risk-taking often leaving the back four exposed.
“It’s not about one player or one mistake it’s about how Liverpool are set up,” he said. “They’ve been far too open in every game. Even in games they’ve won, it’s been chaotic. It looks like fun football, but it’s not sustainable.”
Despite sitting near the top of the Premier League earlier in the campaign, Carragher said the recent dip didn’t surprise him.
“Even though Liverpool won their first seven games of the season, this run of defeats was easy to see coming,” he insisted. “It’s not the losses, it’s not the defeats it’s the performances. And this has been coming from day one.”
He went on to reference specific warning signs that were ignored, such as the narrow victory over Newcastle, when Liverpool struggled to control the game despite having a man advantage.
“Liverpool got battered by Newcastle in the second half of that game,” Carragher said. “Newcastle had ten men. That can’t happen to a team like Liverpool. You can’t allow that sort of pressure when you’ve got an extra player on the pitch.”
The 46-year-old also highlighted the Crystal Palace defeat as a prime example of how disorganised the champions have become defensively.
“Palace created seven big chances that’s more big chances than any team has conceded in the Premier League this season,” he explained. “And Liverpool are the champions. That’s the worrying part. This has been coming, this is not a shock for me, and the manager needs to fix it.”
Carragher’s verdict leaves little doubt that Slot faces one of his first major tests as Liverpool manager. The international break has hopefully provided a crucial window for reflection and tactical adjustment before a massive clash against Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
The former defender says Slot must find a way to restore Liverpool’s trademark control and compactness, rather than relying on chaotic, end-to-end exchanges.
“When you look at the great Liverpool sides under Jurgen Klopp, yes they were high-energy, but they were controlled,” Carragher concluded. “You always felt like they could suffocate teams. Right now, Liverpool look easy to play against, and that’s the problem Arne Slot has to solve. If he doesn’t, this won’t be the last tough spell they face this season.”
The pressure will be firmly on him to deliver a response and get back to winning ways.
