Carragher rips into Slot and ‘awful’ Liverpool star in 366-word rant on most ‘uncomfortable’ Van Dijk | OneFootball

Jamie Carragher insists Arne Slot got his tactics “all wrong” in Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and claims he’s “never seen Van Dijk so uncomfortable”.

Désiré Doué gave the hosts an early lead when his deflected shot looped over Georgio Mamardashvili in the 11th minute as PSG completely dominated a game in which Liverpool played with a back five for the first time in a Champions League or Premier League game since December 2017.

While PSG added just one more goal, when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran off Ryan Gravenberch in midfield and danced into and across the box to slot into the corner, but as Slot admitted after the game, Liverpool were very “lucky” to not have lost by more on the night.

Van Dijk played in the middle of three centre-backs and was frequently dragged out of position to allow space for PSG stars to run into, but rather than blame the Liverpool captain, Carragher took aim at teammate Ibrahima Konate, who “makes a mistake every game”, and Arne Slot, for setting the 34-year-old up to fail.

“He [Slot] went about it with the back five all wrong and they were actually more open with a back five than they would be with a back four,” Carragher told CBS Sports.

“Because they went man-to-man all over the pitch and your three centre-backs had to cover the width of the pitch and for Virgil van Dijk watching him tonight in a middle of a back three… normally when you get to a certain age you feel in the middle of a back three is perfect, everyone’s in position, getting a bit of protection. This was different.

“Defenders were jumping into midfield, there was no one to mark and Virgil van Dijk at 34 years of age was having to run in there and he was having to run across. He couldn’t do it.

“People have criticised Van Dijk for his performances this season but I think it’s been harsh. I think he plays every game, the fella next to him has been awful all season and poor again tonight, Konate, makes a mistake every game, so that’s not easy to play alongside, so I still think he’s been one of Liverpool’s better players, Virgil van Dijk.

“But tonight in that back three I have never seen him [Van Dijk] 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.

“But, what I must also say, it’s not just the system of Liverpool and getting it wrong tactically, PSG were absolutely out of this world. The biggest compliment I can give them was it was like watching Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

On Van Dijk’s captaincy, Carragher added: “Listen, what I would say about Virgil van Dijk… he’s always been a true leader on the pitch and he is a true leader, for me, off the pitch.

“He gets questioned a little bit when Liverpool don’t do well by supporters, his leadership on the pitch, but that always happens when team’s aren’t winning, you’re always pointing fingers.

“For me, he’s been a fantastic captain and a fantastic player for Liverpool and he always comes out and speaks and I respect that because not everyone does right now.”