“That can’t continue” – Carragher says there’s one thing he doesn’t “like” about Liverpool right now | OneFootball

Jamie Carragher has said that there’s something he doesn’t particularly ‘like’ about Liverpool in the early weeks of the season.

The Reds remain top of the Premier League despite losing to Crystal Palace last weekend, but they’ve already conceded seven goals in the division (one more than 16th-placed Aston Villa) and have often been reliant on scoring late to turn draws into victories.

On Saturday the last-gasp twist went against Arne Slot’s side as Eddie Nketiah netted the Eagles’ winner, with the pundit accusing five LFC players of a ‘cardinal sin’ in switching off during the passage of play just before that decisive strike.

Carragher: Liverpool “can’t continue” giving up goals and chances

While Carragher said that the defeat at Selhurst Park isn’t a reason to panic, he does feel that Liverpool have been far too vulnerable at the back in recent weeks.

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football, he stated: “That’s the only time they’ve dropped points this season, but I do feel that performance has been coming, and result as well. I don’t think that it’s a freak result that we can’t believe.

“Going into that game, there was probably a little bit of fear – certainly from me, from day 1 in that Bournemouth game.

“There are certain things that I don’t fully like right now about the Liverpool team. It’s just too end-to-end. The chances they give up to the opposition, conceding two goals in a lot of games – that can’t continue.”

Image via Sky Sports News

Liverpool are far more brittle now than 12 months ago

There’s certainly no disgrace in losing at the death away to a Palace side who are unbeaten in 18 matches, especially when we’re still leading the way in the Premier League, but Carragher is right to feel concerned over that performance in particular from Slot’s team.

The Eagles would’ve been out of sight by half-time were it not for a string of brilliant saves by Alisson Becker, and even allowing for the considerable transition of players in and out of Anfield over the summer, the Reds are nowhere near as defensively secure as 12 months ago.

Liverpool have shipped seven goals in their first six Premier League games this term; at the equivalent stage last season, they’ve let in just two, and after 11 top-flight matches in their title-winning campaign they’d still conceded only six times.

Our xG against of 6.9 is consistent with the actual concession tally, but when compared with Arsenal’s 3.9 (FBref), it indicates that Slot’s side can be breached much more readily than Mikel Arteta’s.

The Reds have a world-class goalkeeper and (at their best) an outstanding centre-back pairing, but the team as whole could do with tightening up if they’re to ensure that results such as last Saturday’s are mere blips rather than continually costly bad habits.

You can watch the Liverpool squad prepare for Champions League action via our YouTube channel: