“Buy a defender!!!!”. That was the blunt message from Jamie Carragher on social media after seeing Liverpool fail to keep another clean sheet at Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool have recorded just three shutouts in their last eleven games, after recording eleven in the first twenty. Carragher said: “The defensive solidity they had at the start of the season is gone. It always seems likely that he will give in.'
Although Liverpool produced a storming final at Forest and created plenty of chances to win, they were just beaten by Accrington Stanley in their last four games, losing one and drawing the other two. This mistake is their worst run of the season and they have left the door ajar to give Arsenal new hope in the title race when there was none.
They have conceded fourteen goals in their last eleven games, compared to just twelve in their first twenty. Carragher's solution to buy a defender is not as simple as it sounds and it is highly unlikely that Liverpool will spend a lot of money this month.
They have money to spend after making a profit during the summer transfer window, but they cannot complete the quality of deals they would like. Their deals four years ago, when they tried to replace the injured Virgil van Dijk, were a warning against panic buying.
They signed Ben Davies from Preston for £2 million, who did not play a single match, and Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke, who looked uneasy in his few appearances before being sent back to Germany. Van Dijk will have to be replaced soon even if he signs a new contract to stay. He turns 34 in July and cannot remain the mainstay of the Liverpool defense forever.
Arne Slot is not convinced by Jarell Quansah and the England defender has regressed after his striking breakthrough campaign last season. Joe Gomez is as versatile as a Swiss Army knife, but he will only be a reliable deputy and not an automatic starter.
Jarrad Branthwaite appears to tick all the boxes and is 22 and destined to play for England and the Premier League for the next decade. Left back is also quickly becoming a problem due to Andy Robertson's problems.
Robertson turns 31 in March and is making more and more mistakes, such as conceding penalties against Southampton and Real Madrid, and his red card against Fulham for cutting Harry Wilson. He seems to have lost a meter of his electric pace and can no longer rely on his speed to clear danger.
Kostas Tsimikas is not good enough to replace him and Liverpool will need a new left-back in the summer. Fulham star Antonee Robinson is a candidate and was excellent at Anfield last month, scoring both of the Cottagers' goals in their 2-2 draw.
But the US international still has three and a half years left on his Cottagers deal and Fulham are said to want more than £50million for him. Bournemouth's Hungarian Milos Kerkez is another option, but the Reds would face competition from Manchester United, who have also been linked with Robinson.
Liverpool have an advantage over United and sporting director Richard Hughes signed Kerkez from AZ Alkmaar for £15.5 million in 2023 while at Bournemouth.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's likely free transfer to Real Madrid will create a problem for the right-back that Conor Bradley can solve. But the cracks are there and Liverpool will hope they do not open further.
Comments