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Liverpool legend concerned about Reds’ lack of identity under Slot
04th May, 2026 01:25 PM
Jamie Carragher is worried about where Liverpool are heading under Arne Slot, questioning what the identity of his team is, while the Reds’ boss said his side has had a “whole season” of decisions going against them.
Liverpool were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United on Super Sunday as Slot’s team remain fourth with work to do to qualify for the Champions League. Slot also has work to do to persuade fans he is the man to lead them next season.
Former Liverpool defender Carragher is struggling to see how Arne Slot can fix the situation. He said, “Am I worried about where Liverpool are going? Yeah, I am.
Interesting times
“I think it will be really interesting to see who Liverpool buys in the summer and what the profile of the player will be. Going for just good players hasn’t worked; it’s blown up in their face. There’s a lack of physicality.
“We’re in a situation now where we look at the teams who are looking for a manager: Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Chelsea.
“Those three clubs we just mentioned sacked their managers midway through the season. They ended up with [Alvaro] Arbeloa, who’d never managed before, [Michael] Carrick, who had been at Middlesbrough; and young [Liam] Rosenior, which was too big a jump.
“Maybe those big managers aren’t around at the moment, those figures aren’t available. Xabi Alonso is the one that’s making Liverpool fans think: ‘We do not want to miss out on him,”
Losing Klopp’s identity
“We can’t be a club that continues for the next five or 10 years saying, ‘Oh, we want Jurgen Klopp football.’
“The fella is a genius. He does football better than anybody. So whatever manager is going to come in, he’s going to play his football.
“The worry is not that there’s no identity. That is the identity.
United’s second goal on the afternoon came controversially when Benjamin Sesko bundled their second goal of the game in the 14th minute.
Loss to Manchester
Slow-motion replays later indicated that Sesko had gotten a feather-like touch on the ball with his hand. The initial replays shown during the VAR process did not appear to have this close-up view, which was shown 22 minutes later, and the goal was allowed to stand.
Speaking after the game, Slot said, “If it was a touch, which I think it is, because if you know a bit about a ball sport, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been a contact. But it’s always like that.
“We should have a debate in football. Is that enough to disallow a goal? But I think the rule is if there was a touch, it should have been disallowed.
“But I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone this season that if there is a VAR intervention or if there is something that you could look at or could be left or could be right, then that decision goes against us.
