Jamie Carragher tears into Liverpool with ultimate insult as season worsens with PSG defeat

Jack Otway
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:33:15 +0000

Jamie Carragher has torn into Liverpool, and manager Arne Slot, following their 2-0 Champions League defeat to PSG at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.

Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck to give the Ligue 1 giants a healthy advantage ahead of the second leg at Anfield next week.

Liverpool had gone into the game hoping to bounce back after recent domestic losses away at Brighton and Manchester City.

But the Merseyside titans were second best on the night, with PSG running out worthy winners as they look to secure Champions League glory for the second year in a row.

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Carragher, speaking on CBS Sports, didn't hold back in his assessment after the game - accusing his old side of looking like a 'lower division team'.

"That was like watching a team from a lower division," he said. "The gulf in class was very worrying from a Liverpool point of view.

"In some ways, it's a great result as it should have been five or six. But the gulf between the two teams was absolutely startling when you consider last season.

"Yes, Liverpool got battered at PSG and they won 1-0, we know that. But the second leg at Anfield was a really close game, two top teams.

"Liverpool then go and spend £450m, probably a lot more than PSG spent in the summer. To see the gulf there is worrying. You think, 'how's it got to that? How's it got that bad?'"

Slot had opted to go with a back five for the match in the hope that Liverpool would be able to keep PSG at bay.

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However, they were never really in the game with centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate both toiling.

Carragher, discussing Slot's tactics, added: "The manager has tried something but he's got it massively wrong tactically, how he went about it.

"It's easy for me to say that, after the event, but that's what we do, we're pundits, we speak after the events in the game.

"They were actually more open with the back five than they would be with the back four because they went man-to-man all over the pitch and the three centre-backs had to cover the width of the pitch.

"Watching Virgil van Dijk tonight in the middle of the back three… Normally, when you get to a certain age, you think, middle of a back three, that's perfect for me, everyone's in position, you get a bit of protection in your back five.

"This was different. Defenders were jumping into midfield. There was no one to mark. And Van Dijk, at 34 years of age, was having to run in there and run across. He couldn't do it.

"People have criticised Van Dijk this season for his performances and I think it's been harsh. He plays every game. The fella next to him has been awful all season and was poor again tonight, Konate. He makes a mistake every game.

"That's not easy to play alongside. I actually think Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool's better players but tonight in that back three, I have never seen him so uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt in my life.

"I think he will be pleading with Arne Slot to never play that system ever again because he found it so tough.

"But, what I must also say is that it's not just the system of Liverpool and getting it wrong tactically, PSG were absolutely out of this world. It was like watching Pep Guardiola's Barcelona."

Slot admitted afterwards that Liverpool were fortunate to only lose by two.

He does, however, feel they're capable of turning things around in the return leg at home on Tuesday.