Jamie Carragher says Liverpool show “fear” when facing adversity and singled out one player guilty of making schoolboy errors that put the Reds under unnecessary pressure against Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool edged out Tottenham 2-1 in north London on Saturday night to finish the Premier League matchday fifth in the table, ten points behind pacesetters Arsenal.
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It was a very strange match. Not much happened until Richarlison came on in the 80th minute, his chaotic nature giving Spurs a shot in the arm after being reduced to ten men when Xavi Simons was sent off after only 33 minutes.
Bizarrely, Liverpool’s final touch inside their attacking third came in the 81st minute, meaning they didn’t manage one for around 20 minutes.
Despite playing against ten men for most of the game – and nine for the final seven minutes of second-half injury time – Arne Slot’s side spent the closing stages retreating, panicking, and inviting pressure they shouldn’t have faced.
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Jamie Carragher analyses Liverpool’s meltdown at Spurs
On Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher broke down those chaotic final 20 minutes and laid bare an alarming Liverpool problem: fear.
“Liverpool’s assistant coach here is telling Virgil van Dijk to drop off. Why is he telling him to do that? Because when you’re against nine men, you have to make the pitch as big as you possibly can, and that’s what Liverpool didn’t do at all.
“Panic. Retreat. Go back. They’re not thinking properly. They wouldn’t react like this if it was 11 v 11. You can see already the nervousness, they don’t want the ball. You can see the panic when the opposition have the ball. Virgil van Dijk is shouting, but they’re not opening the pitch. The heads are completely scrambled, so they give the ball away straight away.”
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Curtis Jones was then guilty of doing something you’re taught not to do as a kid and Carragher adds that the Liverpool midfielder was one of the main culprits in being scared to get on the ball amid pressure from Spurs.
“If you’ve got two extra men, you don’t dribble. That’s something you’re told as a kid. You’ve got the extra man on the pitch, you keep passing the ball and make them run. Don’t dribble and make it a one-v-one. Curtis Jones tries to be clever on the ball, but where’s the actual support from Liverpool players?
“Be brave, have some courage to get onto the ball. It’s a fear of losing the lead. It goes back to Newcastle and it goes back to Leeds a couple of weeks ago.
“Liverpool can’t get close to Tottenham players, but when they’re on the ball, they can’t keep the ball. It’s all a mindset; it’s not ability. Liverpool have got better players on this pitch, never mind the numerical advantage.
“Again, we talk about not wanting the ball. [Ibrahima] Konate has to come back there. That’s the courage you have to show. If this was 11 v 11, I’d understand throwing the ball down the line. You’re a little bit nervous, you’ve got the extra men, he has to go there and make the pitch big.
“Curtis Jones is free to receive the ball here. I’m convinced, if it’s just a normal game, Curtis Jones goes and gets that and bounces the ball back. He’s actually telling them go long. That fear has really set in to Liverpool now.”
Carragher is confident Liverpool wouldn’t have held on if it wasn’t for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson’s defensive contributions.
“Brilliant from the goalkeeper alongside Virgil van Dijk in those last 20 minutes. I think without those two, Liverpool would not have got the three points. You look at these two coming together, absolutely colossal, the two of them were, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.
“Liverpool were under pressure, a goal goes in from a set-piece, it happens, but they didn’t think correctly under pressure. And they were very fortunate to come out with the three points.”
Touching on Liverpool’s mental fragility again, Carragher says he thinks the Reds players were convinced a Spurs equaliser was coming.
“There’s no doubt those Liverpool players coming towards the end of that game are thinking, ‘We’re going to lose this. We’re going to concede.’ That’s why they keep going back and going back.
“If that’s 11 v 11, and Tottenham score to make it 2-1… I think they’re showing for the ball. I think they’re getting on second balls. It’s a mental problem, and maybe the fact that they’ve came through, it’ll be better next time.”
Liverpool have a mentality problem
Liverpool got away with it this time, largely thanks to Van Dijk and Alisson dragging them over the line.
But Carragher’s wider point is harder to ignore. This wasn’t about Spurs pressure or a lack of ability; it was about mindset. A team with a numerical advantage should be dictating the game, yet the first sign of adversity continues to force Liverpool into scrambling and struggling.
As the Liverpool legend said, Slot’s men might have more confidence next time after just about getting through against Spurs.