Rio Ferdinand is the latest pundit to criticise a trio of Liverpool players as part of a worrying trend that shows Jurgen Klopp's men have not learnt from their defensive mistakes this season.
The Reds fell to a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid thanks to a late Karim Benzema goal on Wednesday night, being dumped out of the Champions League in the process. The loss came days after Jurgen Klopp's side were beaten by Premier League relegation strugglers Bournemouth.
It leaves their season heading for a damp squib, with Klopp's men now only having a place in the top four to play for. At the heart of their problems has been their openness at the back, with Ferdinand taking aim at Trent Alexander-Arnold for his role in Benzema's strike.
The right-back failed to pick up the run of Vinicius, with Benzema flicking Eduardo Camavinga's ball over to the winger. The Brazilian slipped but was able to square a pass to the Madrid captain, who fired past Alisson.
"You’ve got to be thinking defensively, you’ve got to be thinking my two centre halves are in trouble, there’s gonna be a chance and there could be a ball coming in here at some point, or at least let me get myself back in to cover my defenders," Ferdinand told BT Sport.
"That’s got to be your first and only thought in this phase of play. The ball goes through, then look at the separation as the ball comes down to Vinicius there. As he touches that ball he’s gone from being side-by-side to being five yards behind the player he was marking.
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"That’s a world class attacking player who you can’t take your eyes off. How he’s got separation within two seconds-ish to get five yards and a chance at goal, he’ll be looking at that and thinking I could do better there, Trent, because you can’t switch off at this level."
Ferdinand was also unhappy with centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. The Manchester United man blasted their lack of communication, which allowed Camavinga's past to dissect Liverpool's defence.
"It’s a lovely ball, I’m a centre back and that distance between one centre back and the other at this stage - with, by the way, one of the deadliest, lethal strikers [Benzema] in this position - with the midfielder actually facing play as well," he added.
"I’m baffled as to why one of those centre backs doesn’t go I’m going to go and attach myself straight onto him, I’m gonna mark him, and the other can cover or get in front. Do you know who the conductors are to get Fabinho across to stop the ball there?
"These two [Konate and Van Dijk]. They have to be the ones that have to be screaming because they can see it all from behind. They can see everything - scream. Scream and get that player across in front to stop the pass.
"That’s how you help the defensive midfielder to look a better player. You move him and he looks great. They look like a team that’s run out of steam. The team just looks exposed and open and at times lacklustre in the way that they defend."
The same trio also faced criticism for their defending in Philip Billing's goal for Bournemouth on Saturday. Reds legend Michael Owen blasted Van Dijk, Konate and Alexander-Arnold, with a worrying trend now emerging.
“Virgil van Dijk ends up going in where you think he shouldn’t, but then Konate can see the whole picture. Van Dijk has gone in with his man," Owen told Premier League Productions.
"I think it’s a 50-50, I think Konate tries to play offside when he can see everything in front of him and he needs to be sprinting back, as it is, Van Dijk gets back in, then Billing and Alexander-Arnold at the back post.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold ends up coming to the back post, totally losing his man, and then it’s a simple finish in the end. I think Konate can do better (preventing the cross). But Trent completely loses his man. It’s a rubbish goal to give away.”
