Jamie Carragher was left exasperated by Liverpool’s demoralising 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Monday evening.
Jurgen Klopp’s side’s four-game winning run in the Premier League came to a humbling end in West London with their defensive vulnerabilities badly exposed. The Reds conceded three goals while the hosts had a further two efforts ruled out correctly through marginal offside decisions.
An own goal from Ibrahima Konate opened the scoring for the Bees before Yoane Wissa doubled their advantage before the break, after the forward had two goals ruled out for offsides. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain headed the Reds back into the game after the break, but Bryan Mbuemo added a late third to seal a deserved Brentford victory.
While Liverpool had recovered their winning knack in recent games, their level of performances were well off recent seasons. Their most recent victory over Leicester saw the Reds only secure victory thanks to two own goals from Wout Faes, as Liverpool’s recent trend of conceding big chances continued.
Liverpool’s loss at Brentford left Carragher – who was co-commentator during the match – frustrated at full-time, as he had his head in his hands next to fellow Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards, who joined in the dancing of the home fans after their side’s tremendous performance.
Carragher lamented on Sky Sports after full-time: “Liverpool have bought one midfield player in four and a half years and it’s coming back to haunt them now. If Liverpool think they can get top four without signing a midfielder… they’ve got absolutely no chance.
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“People keep talking about Jude Bellingham. Liverpool haven’t got a problem going forward. It’s actually a midfielder player to stop the opposition going through them.”
The former Reds defender added: “It reminds of Arsene Wenger ’s Arsenal that never won again when it turned too technical. I don’t know if it’s something to do with Pep Lijnders who has a big influence.
"Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho don't look like Jurgen Klopp players. They’re trying to play the Jurgen Klopp way without the Jurgen Klopp players. Liverpool are like a normal team pressing but still play with a high line.”
Klopp was disappointed Brentford's third goal was not ruled out for a foul on Ibrahima Konate after the defender stumbled under pressure from Mbeumo. "Of course I’m not 100 percent happy," he said. "I will have to watch it back again and again because the two corners where they scored, one of them was offside or whatever it was.
"And then the other one of course we don’t behave perfectly, but they are stretching the rules in this moment, they are pushing, holding and everything and the ref’s, that’s obviously what you can do, that’s why it’s really difficult and we could have done better.
"The third goal, I have no clue he can only not whistle for a foul in that situation where the defender has been given a push in the back. You lose control and you go down, then they hide behind the phrase ‘it’s not clear and obvious.’
"These are the situations, he has to explain that, if somebody were to ask him. But again, we still lose 2-1 because we don’t score again, but it changes the game 10 minutes before end, the mindset and mood, so at 2-1 I would have wished to see the last 10 or 15 minutes, we have to accept that."
The defeat leaves Liverpool in sixth place and a whopping 15 points off Premier League leaders Arsenal, who have played one game fewer. They are four points off fourth-placed Manchester United, who also have a game in hand over Klopp’s side.
