Liverpool quietly sat down with Jamie Carragher back in late September to have a word about the tone of his punditry work, it's emerged.
The meeting came after Arne Slot's side lost at Crystal Palace, and reports say it was a cordial affair – though it's clear the club felt something needed to be said.
Turns out, several members of the Liverpool squad have grown frustrated with the 47-year-old's commentary on their performances.
Carragher himself suspects the meeting was driven by players rather than club officials, and there's nothing to suggest otherwise.
Jamie Carragher has frequently criticised Liverpool players this season
| PAIt's worth noting this kind of conversation isn't entirely unusual in football – other clubs have had similar chats with pundits over the years.
Still, the relationship between Liverpool and their former captain has become complicated, to say the least.
One club source told the Mail: "He is a highly-regarded former player with a great legacy. He's also a Liverpool fan. His family come to our games."
They added: "He has his own charitable foundation and some of that work crosses over positively with ours.
"But then the TV stuff is the fourth layer and, yes, that sometimes makes the relationship challenging."
It's a tricky balancing act for everyone involved – Carragher remains deeply connected to Anfield through his family ties and charity work, but his role as one of the country's most prominent football pundits on Sky Sports and CBS has created genuine tension with those inside the building.
Jamie Carragher most recently went on a near-10 minute rant over Mohamed Salah
| SKYSPORTSThe tension between Carragher and Liverpool's star players has been bubbling away for some time now.
Mohamed Salah made his feelings pretty clear after the dramatic 3-3 draw at Leeds on Saturday, telling reporters: "Tomorrow, Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that's fine."
It wasn't the first time Salah had taken aim at the pundit either – back in January, he posted on X saying: "I am starting to think you are obsessed with me."
And it's not just the Egyptian forward who's grown weary of Carragher's analysis.
Club captain Virgil van Dijk is also known not to be a fan of the former defender's commentary on the team's performances.
Despite all the friction, Carragher isn't planning to soften his approach anytime soon.
Virgil van Dijk is not fond of Jamie Carragher's criticism
|REUTERS
Friends say he's perfectly comfortable with how he handles his work for Sky Sports and CBS, with one associate insisting: "His opinions are honest and come from a good place."
Someone close to the pundit put it bluntly: "Nobody likes being criticised but he won't change his views on football, because they are what he feels.
Jamie Carragher has insisted his criticism comes from an honest place
| GETTY"He thinks there is a lot of bulls**t and fakery in modern football and is happy to call it out when he sees it."
Carragher has acknowledged all the positive things he's said about both Salah and Van Dijk over the years – he's even called the captain a Liverpool legend and icon.