Jamie Carragher has launched a withering blast of Liverpool 's "shambolic" defence after the Reds suffered a himiliating defeat to Wolves.
The 3-0 hammering leaves Jurgen Klopp's men in 10th place, 11 points adrift of the Champions League qualification places. It was a downfall all of their own making at Molineux on Saturday, with Wolves racing two goals ahead within the first 12 minutes.
First Joel Matip scored an own-goal after being caught out by Hwang Hee-chan's run, before Craig Dawson fired in after the visitors failed to clear a free-kick. While the Reds improved after the break, Wolves made sure of the win through Ruben Neves' late strike.
Carragher pinpointed the cause of Liverpool's downfall as being the continued absence of Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman has missed the Reds' last three top-flight games with a hamstring injury.
Liverpool have failed to win a Premier League game in their star defender's absence. And Carragher blasted the Reds' other centre-backs for failing to perform without having Van Dijk's leadership alongside them.
"It’s not too difficult to play Centre Back next to the leader of the back four, judge CB’s when they have to lead themselves. Shambolic," the Liverpool legend tweeted.
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Liverpool have lost twice and drawn two of the games Van Dijk has missed, with Matip starting both of the defeats. Joe Gomez was alongside him against Wolves, having taken the place of Ibrahima Konate, who partnered Matip in the defeat to Brighton.
Carragher is not the only one to fire a blast towards Liverpool's defence, with Klopp also bemoaning their recent performances. The German was visibly angry with his side as they fell apart and slammed them after the defeat.
"Very frustrating, very disappointing. The start into the game was horrible, absolutely horrible; it was the opposite of what we wanted to do. The first 12 minutes, 2-0 down, is absolutely never helpful, but especially in our situation," he said.
"It is absolutely not allowed to happen. Not for being passive, not for doing what we did in these moments. So, we saw different games today – all in one. The first 12 minutes, then an OK away performance where we created, we were there, that was absolutely OK.
"Then we started extremely well in the second half. The first 25/30 minutes of the second half was brilliant, was a super away game without scoring and then they scored the third goal from a counter-attack and the rest is then getting it over the line, pretty much.
"We caused that misery with the first 12 minutes. You can ask me if I can explain it; it is now 10 or 15 minutes after the game, still not. That cannot happen, it cannot. It did, I know, but that’s really tough to swallow."
In a boost for Klopp after the humiliation at Wolves, Van Dijk is set to return to training next week. If Carragher's analysis is anything to go by, the Dutchman cannot come back soon enough.
