Liverpool are now standing in the middle of a storm, a storm that feels like it was slowly building up from the first day of this season but has now reached a stage where it cannot be ignored. Two defeats in a row, one in the Premier League against Crystal Palace and then another painful one in Istanbul against Galatasaray, have left the entire fanbase asking questions and looking at Arne Slot with sharp eyes. And when Jamie Carragher speaks, Liverpool fans always listen, because he has lived through the highs and the lows of the club, he has worn the shirt in the toughest battles, and he knows exactly when something is not right. For Carragher, this is no small issue, this is a full-blown crisis in the making, and he has not held back his words, declaring boldly that Liverpool are not playing like a top team. In his eyes Liverpool right now are messy, confused, unbalanced, and if things are not fixed soon the season could spin out of control.
The night in Istanbul was supposed to be one of resilience, a chance for the Reds to put the Selhurst Park nightmare behind them and show Europe that they are still the defending Premier League champions with authority and class. Instead, it turned into another lesson, another game full of sloppy defending, painful mistakes, and players looking like shadows of themselves. Galatasaray did not even need to be spectacular, they just waited for Liverpool to make errors, and the errors came. Alisson Becker, the one man who has saved Liverpool countless times, limped off, leaving supporters stunned and biting their nails ahead of Chelsea at the weekend. Hugo Ekitike, the striker who was supposed to be part of the future, also limped off injured, making things even darker. To lose the game was one thing, but to lose two key players at the same time felt like double punishment, a cruel reminder that football can be brutal when you least expect it.
Carragher, speaking with the sharp tone that has defined him as a pundit, said he was not watching a top team anymore, he was watching chaos. In his words Liverpool are playing basketball, not football, just end to end, with no control, no defensive shape, and no authority. For a man who grew up under managers who built Liverpool’s strength on discipline and structure, this is not just disappointing, it is unacceptable. He even admitted that he had warned Arne Slot about this issue from the very start, after the Community Shield and the opening match against Bournemouth, but nothing has changed. Slot’s Liverpool, Carragher argued, are too eager to push numbers forward, too hungry to play like entertainers, but in the process they have forgotten what made them great last season. They were champions because of balance, because of organisation, because even when they sparkled with attacking brilliance they still had the ability to shut the door when it mattered. That Liverpool is gone, replaced by something reckless, fragile, and naïve.
Carragher’s words cut deep because they are not just about one game, they are about a pattern. He reminded everyone that even against Newcastle, Liverpool allowed themselves to be dominated by 10 men, something that should never happen to a champion side. Against Crystal Palace, they conceded more big chances than any other team has in the Premier League this season, another damning statistic. And in Istanbul they were second best to a Galatasaray side that simply believed more. Carragher made it clear that this is not a shock, not something that came out of nowhere. It has been coming, and anyone paying attention could see it. Now it is Arne Slot’s responsibility to earn his money, to show that he is not just a coach who had a smooth ride last season but a manager who can fix problems when the storm arrives.
One of Carragher’s strongest criticisms was directed at Florian Wirtz. The young German midfielder arrived with a huge reputation and a £100m price tag, but so far he has given nothing in terms of goals or assists. Carragher argued that Wirtz should come out of the team, at least for now, because he is not at the races. He said Liverpool need to go back to the structure that made them solid last season and then slowly build confidence again. Wirtz has talent and time, nobody doubts that, but right now he is damaging the balance of the team. For Carragher, Liverpool’s problem is not just individual errors, it is the make-up of the team. Too many attacking full-backs, too many players thinking about going forward, not enough players taking responsibility to defend. Even Szoboszlai, who last season worked hard to protect the midfield, looks different now, and that has left holes everywhere.
What makes it worse is that the problems are now colliding with injuries. Alisson’s absence is a nightmare because he has been the foundation of Liverpool’s resilience. Without him, even simple games feel dangerous. Ekitike’s injury is another blow, especially with Isak not fully sharp. Konate, once seen as a rock, is making costly mistakes, like the hospital pass in Turkey that nearly gifted Galatasaray a second goal. Szoboszlai gave away a penalty, Frimpong has been inconsistent, and even Salah looks nothing like the ruthless forward of last season. Carragher hinted at something unspoken but worrying: if Salah is being managed because of fatigue, then Liverpool have a deeper issue, because Salah has always been the man who never needed to be managed. To see him struggling is a bad sign.
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Arne Slot himself admitted after the defeat that he was disappointed, but disappointment is not enough for fans or pundits. They want answers, they want solutions. Carragher believes Slot has to change things quickly, and one way is to drop Wirtz and focus again on defensive solidity. Another is to rethink the approach that leaves Liverpool exposed every time they lose the ball. Football at the highest level is not just about attack, it is about control, and Carragher believes Liverpool have none right now. He does not believe simply buying a new centre-back would solve it. The issue is structural, it is tactical, it is about how the team is built and how they behave as a unit. If everyone bombs forward, if the midfield forgets to defend, if the full-backs keep flying up at the same time, no centre-back in the world can save you.
For the fans, the fear is that this could spiral. Chelsea may be struggling under Enzo Maresca, but Stamford Bridge will smell blood when they see a wounded Liverpool without Alisson and Ekitike. Every opponent now knows Liverpool are vulnerable, and the aura of invincibility from last season is fading fast. Even VAR drama has not saved them in recent games. Their luck, which often carried them through tight situations, seems to have run out. Players who were heroes months ago are now shadows. Gravenberch, once admired, is losing duels and making errors. Mac Allister is still fighting for fitness. Wirtz is being questioned. And Salah, the king of Anfield, looks strangely ordinary.
Carragher summed it up perfectly when he said this is not about defeats alone, it is about the way Liverpool are playing. He believes from day one this style was always going to catch up with them, and now it has. The question is whether Slot is brave enough to change, whether he is smart enough to adapt, or whether he will continue on a path that could cost Liverpool everything. For Carragher, there is no room for excuses. Slot won the league last season, but that is in the past. Now he has to show what kind of manager he really is when things go wrong.
The irony is that Liverpool are still top of the Premier League table, at least for now. But everyone can feel the ground shaking. If they continue like this, if they continue to play basketball instead of football, that position will not last. Carragher has seen too much of the game to be fooled by temporary standings. He knows titles are not won in September or October, but they can be lost if the cracks are ignored. And right now Liverpool’s cracks are wide open for all to see.
The story of this Liverpool side is becoming a drama full of tension, fear, and urgency. Fans are asking themselves how long Salah can keep being quiet, how long Alisson will be missing, how long before Wirtz justifies his fee, and most of all how long before Arne Slot proves he has solutions. Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will be more than just another game, it will be a test of character, a test of Slot’s ability to rally his squad, and a test of whether Carragher’s warnings are taken seriously or ignored. Because if Liverpool lose again, the noise will be unbearable, the headlines will be brutal, and the pressure will be suffocating.
Football is cruel because it moves fast. Only a few weeks ago Liverpool were being spoken of as favourites to defend their crown. Now they look like a team without control, without confidence, and without direction. Carragher has sounded the alarm, and he has done it loudly. For Liverpool, the choice is clear: fix it now or watch the season collapse in front of them.
