Jamie Carragher says Arne Slott’s position is still not untenable, but believes Liverpool can still see glimpses of their future without Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.
Liverpool suffered another humiliating defeat at home on Wednesday night, losing 4-1 to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
A ninth defeat in their last 12 matches has put more pressure on head coach Slott, but Sky Sports’ Carragher believes time is not up yet.
“Liverpool are not a club to make redundancies,” Carragher told CBS Sports.
“Liverpool is different from almost every club in European football where the manager is king and the manager gets time. Liverpool have never sacked a manager who won the league. Never in their history. They’ve been gone for a few years and then resigned.”
“When I spoke to Liverpool supporters after losing at home to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, I couldn’t believe people were talking about the manager’s job and I think that will only increase from now on.
“I’m always the guy who follows the manager because I’m angry with the players, I’m really angry with the players. But when you get to the point where I always use the word ‘intolerable’ with any manager at any club, I feel like I can’t go on anymore.
“Personally as a manager I’m not there yet, but I know a lot of our supporters will be.”
This season, Liverpool’s aging spine was exposed when Van Dijk conceded a penalty for a handball against PSV and Salah failed to score or assist again in the absence of goalkeeper Alisson.
Carragher believes other players in the squad have not stepped up.
“This is probably a snapshot of Liverpool’s future when Mo Salah leaves, Virgil van Dijk leaves and Alisson leaves,” he said.
“In 2018, Liverpool began their journey to becoming a great team under Klopp, and Slott arrived seven years later.
“The spark for Liverpool from that start was Alisson, Van Dijk and Salah. Alisson hasn’t played much now because he’s had a lot of injuries. But what you’re looking at now is Van Dijk, he’s not the same player. And Salah almost looks like he’s lost his legs.”
“I don’t like to criticize them, but I think some of the criticism they’ve had of them as players this season has been harsh. You always look for a team leader to step up when things aren’t going well.
“Now I’ve been criticizing Salah off the pitch. I want him to come out tonight and give an interview and tell the Liverpool supporters about what the players are going to do, what’s going on in the dressing room and give the supporters hope that things will get better. I don’t like criticizing them on the pitch because what they’ve done is definitely legendary and especially with Salah he just lost his legs.”
“Van Dijk can’t help other players right now. He has to help himself. That means he’s an ordinary centre-back, like I was at a certain stage. So maybe he’s not superhuman now, but they’ve been that good for the football club.”
“I’m watching the other players too. Step up. Are you only going to play well when they’re playing well, or only when they’re carrying you? Their last season was substandard, and the other players were enjoying wins in the league. And they’re all league champions.”
Virgil van Dijk concedes penalty early in Liverpool’s heavy defeat
“They’ve put it on their resume, which is great, but where are they when they’re not there? Where are the other players? Where are the other players? That’s why I’m angry about talking about the coach, but it’s inevitable and anything can happen.”
“But in terms of the players and their current performance, I mean it’s not acceptable to Liverpool Football Club.
“I thought a little bit last season, are some of them good enough players to win the biggest trophy for Liverpool? I saw them at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. I saw them away last season against PSG. It was a terrible performance and they have been carried by some of the best players in the club’s history.”
Gerrard: ‘Liverpool are not in crisis yet’
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told TNT Sport that the club is not yet in “crisis” but believes they are getting closer.
He said: “Every time we lose, especially depending on how we lose, we move closer to crisis. I don’t like to use that term because to me crisis means a club that takes years to get back to the top.”
“I don’t think Liverpool are at that stage at all. They still have great players. This is the team, or most of the team, that won the league four months ago. I think the crisis is too strong.”
“That’s not enough. There are no excuses for this football club. I think everyone knows that. But crisis is a very strong word and it’s disrespectful to some of the players who have contributed so much to this football club and to the manager who took over three months ago.”
“If this is six months from now, a year from now, and I’m further away from success, I might be able to use those words. But I wouldn’t use those words yet.
“But there is no denying that this team is struggling very much. They are in a terrible situation. Their confidence is at an all-time low. And they keep bleeding. They keep conceding goals. The situation is wide open and it will continue to be so unless the manager finds answers and stability for the team.”
