Carragher: Arne Slot's Tactical Approach Was Woefully Inadequate

Jamie Carragher expressed his disappointment with Arne Slot's tactics, stating that he got it 'massively wrong' and that Virgil van Dijk will likely be urging him to avoid using a back five again after Liverpool's dismal performance against Paris Saint-Germain. The 2-0 quarter-final first leg loss, which could have easily been a more significant margin, has left Liverpool with a daunting task to reach the Champions League last four. Carragher noted that the gulf in class between the two teams was 'startling' and 'worrying' from a Liverpool perspective, especially considering the Reds had spent £450m in the summer. Slot's decision to switch to a back five in an attempt to contain the French giants backfired due to the use of man-to-man marking, which left Van Dijk exposed alongside the struggling Ibrahima Konate. Carragher felt that Van Dijk, at 34 years old, was uncomfortable in the back three and had to cover a lot of ground, which he couldn't do. He also praised Van Dijk's performances this season, stating that he has been one of Liverpool's better players, but the system used against PSG made him look uncomfortable. Slot acknowledged that Liverpool were fortunate not to have lost by a bigger margin and expressed relief that the tie is still alive. He also explained his decision to leave Mohamed Salah as an unused substitute, citing the need to save his energy for upcoming games.