Jamie Carragher believes Jude Bellingham will not solve Liverpool’s midfield problems, as the pundit ripped into their performance in a dismal 3-1 defeat at Brentford.
In recent months Liverpool have been strongly linked with Bellingham, the Borussia Dortmund captain who at just 19 years old starred for England during the World Cup.
However, Carragher says Jurgen Klopp’s midfield has lacked the right investment for several years and the team needs players with the energy and intelligence to shut down the counterattacks which are hurting them this season.
“Everyone keeps talking about Jude Bellingham,” Carragher said on Sky Sports, speaking after the game at the Gtech Community Stadium in which Brentford were deserving winners.
“Liverpool haven’t got a problem going forward. It’s actually a midfielder player to stop the opposition coming right through them [that is needed]. Players like Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, they’re great technical players but they don’t look like ‘Jurgen Klopp players’, and then Fabinho is getting older, Jordan Henderson hasn’t got the energy anymore, James Milner…
“Liverpool’s transfer committee and Jurgen Klopp have been lauded [for their success]… so this is on them, to allow a team who almost won four trophies last season to be fighting for the top four, because the midfield has only one player [Thiago Alcantara] signed in four-and-a-half years, and they’re absolutely running on fumes.”
Liverpool signed Cody Gakpo this week from PSV and the forward will help add competition in attacking positions, as well as providing immediate cover for the injured Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. But Carragher warned that unless they sign the right midfield player this month, Klopp’s side will not qualify for next season’s Champions League.
“How’s this been allowed to happen? If Liverpool think they can get top four without signing a midfielder this window they’ve got absolutely no chance.
“It’s like they’re trying to play the Jurgen Klopp way without Jurgen Klopp players.”
Klopp admitted Brentford showed more desire than his players in their defeat in the Premier League but also claimed his side had seen major decisions go against them.
“It was a wild game, it’s a game Brentford really wants,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “I’m not sure you can control it, each corner is a massive threat, we concede the first goal when we should already be 2-0 up. We have to be much more clear when we are in control of the game and we couldn’t do that tonight.”
