Carragher: Slot's Tactical Approach Was Woefully Inadequate

Jamie Carragher has criticized Arne Slot's tactical decisions, stating that he got it "massively wrong" and that Virgil van Dijk will likely implore him to never use a back five again after Liverpool's dismal performance against Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds suffered a 2-0 defeat in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, a loss that could have been even more severe, according to Carragher. Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored for PSG, while Luis Enrique's side missed several chances to extend their lead and had two penalty appeals rejected by VAR. Carragher expressed concern over the significant gap in class between the two teams, describing the experience as watching a team from a lower division. He attributed the poor performance to Slot's decision to switch to a back five and use man-to-man marking, which left Van Dijk exposed alongside the struggling Ibrahima Konate. Carragher believes that Van Dijk, at 34 years old, was uncomfortable in the back three and will likely plead with Slot to never use this system again. Slot acknowledged that Liverpool were fortunate to only lose 2-0 and agreed that the tie is still alive, citing the potential impact of playing at Anfield in the second leg.