Pundit criticises Arne Slot’s “massively wrong” tactics but hails Luis Enrique’s team as “absolutely out of this world”
Jamie Carragher criticised Arne Slot’s tactical approach after Liverpool were beaten 2-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia secured the win for PSG, although the margin could have been wider given the number of chances created by the French side.
Carragher said the scale of PSG’s dominance was concerning and suggested the result flattered Liverpool.
“That was like watching a team from a lower division,” said Carragher. “The gulf in class was very worrying from a Liverpool point of view. In some ways, it’s a great result as it should have been five or six. But the gulf between the two teams was absolutely startling when you consider last season.
“Yes, Liverpool got battered at PSG and they won 1-0, we know that. But the second leg at Anfield was a really close game, two top teams.
“Liverpool then go and spend £450m, probably a lot more than PSG spent in the summer. To see the gulf there is worrying. You think, how’s it got to that? How’s it got that bad?”
Slot opted for a back five system in Paris, but Carragher argued the setup left Liverpool more exposed, particularly with a man-to-man marking approach across the pitch.
“The manager has tried something but he’s got it massively wrong tactically, how he went about it,” he said.
“They were actually more open with the back five than they would be with the back four because they went man-to-man all over the pitch and the three centre-backs had to cover the width of the pitch.”
Carragher also highlighted the difficulties faced by Virgil van Dijk, who he said looked uncomfortable in the system alongside Ibrahima Konaté.
“Watching Virgil van Dijk tonight in the middle of the back three, normally when you get to a certain age, you think, middle of a back three, that’s perfect for me, everyone’s in position, you get a bit of protection in your back five,” said the pundit.
“This was different. Defenders were jumping into midfield. There was no one to mark. And Van Dijk, at 34 years of age, was having to run in there and run across. He couldn’t do it.
“People have criticised Van Dijk this season for his performances and I think it’s been harsh. He plays every game. The fella next to him has been awful all season and was poor again tonight, Konate. He makes a mistake every game.
“That’s not easy to play alongside. I actually think Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool’s better players but tonight in that back three, I have never seen him so uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt in my life.
“I think he will be pleading with Arne Slot to never play that system ever again because he found it so tough.”
Despite his criticism of Liverpool, Carragher also praised PSG’s performance.
“But, what I must also say is that it’s not just the system of Liverpool and getting it wrong tactically, PSG were absolutely out of this world. It was like watching Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.”
