Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher discusses what now for Liverpool after their defeat at Everton and in particular the future of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez; Reds fell to 2-0 derby defeat to leave them three points behind league leaders Arsenal
Carra on the future of Mo Salah
“There is a real discussion for the new manager about what the future holds for Mo Salah – it’s the first time we’ve asked that question. He only has a year to go on his contract.
“He’s looked a shadow of himself for a lot of this season but especially since he’s come back from injury. He is Liverpool’s legend, superstar, one of the all-time greats. But he’s been so far off it.”
Carra on whether Nunez is good enough to be a title-winning striker
“You want him to do well because he gives everything, he causes trouble, he gets the odd goal. But after two years, when Liverpool are going for the title or in big games, you need your man to score at Old Trafford or at Goodison Park. This is the business end. He’s ground to a halt.
“After two years there’s going to be no improvement in him. This is what he is. He can cause trouble but he’s erratic with his finishing – it’s not enough to win you trophies so there’s a big decision to be made on him.”
Carra on Nunez’s pivotal missed chance just before half-time
“The chance Nunez misses is unforgivable at this level. It’s not acceptable when you’re going for a title.”
Carra on Liverpool’s need to replace Konate
“Konate has been so poor of late. Liverpool need to buy a centre-back in the summer.”
Carra on Liverpool’s over-reliance on Van Dijk
“Everton did a job on Van Dijk, basically saying ‘if we block him, we will have joy against the other players.’
“It’s easy to say ‘Calvert-Lewin had a bit of joy, Van Dijk got blocked off there and got blocked off there’. Van Dijk takes that much responsibility on almost every set-piece. Where are the others? It can’t always be about Van Dijk. If you have the opposition blocking you from winning headers, it shows how dominant you are. He needs more help. You need more people taking responsibility and not just leaving it to the captain. He needs help and he never got it tonight.”
Carra on the title race…
“This is the end of the title run for Liverpool. It almost feels like the end. They just have to make sure they finish the season strongly.
“They had enough chances in the game but at the moment they are not clinical enough in both boxes.
“I don’t think you can get too angry with the team or Jurgen Klopp. It’s been a great ride and a great journey. But tonight is Everton’s night and you have to take it on the chin.”
Carra on Liverpool over-performing but not being good enough
“Man City are on a different level to Liverpool and l also think Arsenal have the edge on Liverpool. In the last six to eight weeks when the top three have been going for the title, it has been a hope rather than a belief.
“In some ways, l think this team has over-achieved because l don’t actually think they are that good.
“I don’t mean that as a criticism. They have done brilliantly well, they have lost four games out of the last 44 in the Premier League. I am finding it hard to be too critical because with the team and the quality of the players they have got… they have over-performed this season and they are just not quite good enough. When it has come to the crunch, they have just been a little bit short.”
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
