Jamie Carragher accused of being too 'extreme' as Liverpool prepare for Man City FA Cup clash

Jack Otway
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:53:48 +0000

This weekend, Liverpool will travel to Manchester City in arguably the pick of the FA Cup quarter-finals.

They head to the Etihad Stadium with their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League hanging by a thread following a turbulent campaign that has been marred by inconsistency.

Liverpool won't be winning the Premier League title. That will go to either Arsenal or City.

Conquering the Champions League is a sizeable task, too, with last year's winners Paris Saint-Germain lying in wait there. Given how they crushed Chelsea last time out, Luis Enrique's men are favourites to win that tie.

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It has led to questions over Liverpool and what's gone wrong. New additions have struggled and the old guard have, after so many years, shown signs of creaking.

Jamie Carragher has been among their biggest critics, branding them a 'team of individuals' in March. The Reds legend, as a regular pundit for Sky Sports, has stuck the knife in frequently in recent times.

However, one former teammate thinks he's been too harsh. Jermaine Pennant, speaking excusively to GB News via Casino Groups, has provided his verdict.

"That may be a bit extreme," he said. "You look at their performance against Galatasaray [in the Champions League] and Liverpool were 100 per cent a team.

"They worked for each other, they chased as a team, tackled and scored excellent team goals, so this shows they are very much a team and can perform to the levels we expect playing on the front foot, getting the crowd going and making Anfield a fortress as we know it can be.

"I hope they can now be replicated again throughout the remaining games."

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Liverpool have also been rocked by a bombshell.

Mohamed Salah, their defining player of the last decade and whose quality will be remembered fondly by Liverpool supporters across the globe, is off at the end of the season.

He was nothing short of sensational last term, with his goals and assists propelling the Reds to Premier League title glory.

But both have dried up this season. There has been turmoil with Arne Slot behind the scenes, and now Salah's Merseyside adventure is ending.

Pennant, when discussing the forward, was adamant he's one of Liverpool's greatest-ever players. He said: "Salah's right up there with the best players the club has ever had for sure.

"Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues, so many goals and assists for the club. Consistently brilliants, giving unbelievable memories for the fans and everyone connected with them.

"Only a few Liverpool players could touch his goal records and level of performance for so many years, so he is up there with the best."

Slot, meanwhile, has come under fire. Despite winning the league in his first season, their fall from grace has been astonishing.

Pennant believes: "It was outstanding to win the Premier League in your first season. Slot came in and was excellent. The team didn’t need fixing and they played superbly to win the league comfortably in the end, so full credit to him for this.

"However, this season hasn’t been the same. Yes there has been circumstances which haven’t been great at all.

"If they weren't to qualify for the Champions League, the club may decide to move on with Xabi Alonso potentially coming in.

"But I hope it doesn't come to that, I hope they qualify."