Jamie Carragher has raised some serious questions about Liverpool’s transfer strategy — and after the 2-2 draw with Newcastle, it’s difficult to completely dismiss his concerns.
Carragher has pointed out that Liverpool conceded 78 goals across all competitions last season, including 53 in the Premier League, the most they had conceded in a league campaign.
Yet much of Liverpool’s transfer focus has been on strengthening the attack.
And Carragher believes the Reds may have overlooked some important defensive areas.
Where are the defensive reinforcements?
Carragher’s biggest concern is that Liverpool haven’t done enough to address the areas that were already causing problems.
He questioned why there hasn’t been more focus on the full-back positions or finding another midfielder to play alongside Ryan Gravenberch.
That is particularly interesting after Newcastle.
Because watching Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez struggle at St James’ Park certainly didn’t make those concerns disappear.
Liverpool were vulnerable defensively and Newcastle repeatedly looked dangerous when they attacked quickly.
The midfield balance is another concern
Liverpool’s midfield was also exposed.
Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have plenty of attacking ability, but Newcastle were able to exploit the space when Liverpool lost possession.
Carragher’s point about the midfielder next to Gravenberch is therefore worth considering.
Liverpool don’t necessarily need a traditional defensive midfielder.
But they do need balance.
If Iraola wants Liverpool to press aggressively and commit numbers forward, someone still needs to protect the defence when that press is broken.
The Newcastle game showed exactly why.
Then there’s Florian Wirtz
Carragher also raised an intriguing question:
Where exactly does Florian Wirtz fit into Iraola’s system?
This is something I hadn’t really considered before the season started.
Wirtz is an exceptional player.
But exceptional players still need to play in a position that allows them to influence games.
Carragher believes Wirtz could potentially have played from the left, similar to the role he has occupied for Germany.
But Iraola appears to want his wide players to provide huge amounts of energy up and down the flanks.
That creates an interesting tactical problem.
Are Liverpool buying players for the manager’s system?
This is where the debate becomes fascinating.
Iraola wants intensity.
He wants pressing.
He wants players who can cover ground.
He wants his wingers to work relentlessly.
Wirtz, meanwhile, is arguably at his best when he can find pockets of space and operate between the lines.
So Liverpool need to make sure they aren’t simply buying the best players available.
They need to build a team that works together.
And this is where the Barcola situation becomes interesting
Liverpool are reportedly pushing hard for Bradley Barcola.
If they sign him, they would have another extremely talented winger competing for places.
But Carragher’s argument is essentially:
Do Liverpool really need another attacking player before fixing the defensive issues?
It’s a fair question.
Especially after Newcastle exposed Liverpool’s vulnerability on the counter.
The numbers are difficult to ignore
Conceding 53 Premier League goals last season was a significant warning sign.
If Liverpool want to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, they cannot simply assume the defence will suddenly become much better.
They need to improve the structure in front of it as well.
The full-backs need to defend better.
The midfield needs more balance.
And the entire team needs to be better organised when possession is lost.
Carragher may have a point
I don’t agree with everything Carragher says.
I still believe Liverpool need another winger.
The Newcastle game showed how much the attack could benefit from more pace and creativity.
But I also think his broader point is extremely important.
Liverpool can’t fix one side of the team while ignoring the other.
If they spend another huge amount of money on an attacker but don’t improve their defensive structure, the same problems could continue.
The Wirtz question needs answering too
Perhaps the biggest issue is how Iraola intends to use Wirtz.
Liverpool spent enormous money to sign him because they believe he can become one of the best players in Europe.
So the system needs to get the best out of him.
Not the other way around.
Wirtz shouldn’t simply be squeezed into a position because Liverpool have too many wingers.
Iraola has to find the right balance.
And perhaps that’s the biggest lesson from Newcastle.
Liverpool don’t simply need more players.
They need the right players in the right positions, playing in a system that allows their best talents to flourish.
Carragher has raised some uncomfortable questions.
Now Liverpool and Iraola need to provide the answers.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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