Jamie Carragher was extremely critical of Liverpool's defensive representation against Bournemouth and the Reds are strongly connected to a £ 40 million move for Marc Guehi
The defense of Liverpool is 'absolutely shockingly' branded after their first game of the new season, so that the Reds defeated dramatic Bournemouth 4-2. Liverpool went on 2-0 thanks to goals from Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo, but gave their lead in the second half.
A brace from Antoine Semenyo made it 2-2 before late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah Liverpool earned all three points. Reds -legend Jamie Carragher, however, was not happy with the defensive display of Liverpool and felt that Ibrahima Konate had the mistake for both goals.
“It's incredible,” said Carragher on Sky Sports. “It is fantastic of Semenyo – but Liverpool has had this problem. How many players walked ahead of the ball – maybe eight players – when they won 2-1?
“That can't happen. It is absolutely shocking at this level. For Semenyo it is incredible to run so far away and get his shot away – but where Konate is going? He had a real, really bad night tonight in the middle.
“That is not true. It is not. It is only a game on top of the community shield – but I have watched enough football in my life. This idea that everyone is bombarding forward, it is not for me. I don't like it.
“In no time last week in the Community Shield, I once had the feeling that Liverpool was in control of the game. You can draw 2-2 with Palace, that can happen. But it is how easily Crystal Palace could come in Liverpool, how easy it was tonight. In the first half Bournemouth should have been at least 2-0 in a certain stage.”
Liverpool has already signed a new center-back and has spent £ 26 million to get Giovanni Leoni from Parma, but they could see their performance against Bournemouth and Konate's exhibition raising the interest in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.
Liverpool has held conversations about a relocation for the English international and BBC -Sport reports that Palace wants around £ 40 million for Guehi, with his contract that will expire next summer. And club captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted that signing a new defender would “accelerate” their improvement.
“You can say that you have to speed up (improvement), but that is thanks to the market. We have to concentrate on what is here and now,” said Van Dijk. “I think it was (defensively) much improved than the last game, but there is still work to do.
“The manager already said that we are playing with a right back (Jeremie Frimpong) who came from the Bundesliga, is 24 years old and tries to get used to how we defend, we play with Milos (Kerkez) who is a very young full-back, very enthusiastic and full of energy, who tries to get used to the way we play.
“It needs time, that is absolutely normal, but we also played without our six, Ryan Gravenberch, who missed it (with suspension). We have to continue to work, that is the most important thing, trying to retain clean sheets. We have admitted two goals in a transition moment that we have to do better. That is what we have to work on.”