Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has pointed to ageing stars Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk as key factors behind the club's dramatic decline in form, following their heavy 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
Liverpool's Historic Struggles
The loss in the Netherlands forms part of what is now officially the team's worst run of results since 1954. The statistics make for grim reading for the Anfield faithful, with the club suffering nine defeats in their last twelve matches across all competitions.
Carragher, analysing the team's collapse, suggested that the core of the issue lies with two of the squad's most experienced and highly-paid players. He believes that both Salah, 33, and Van Dijk, 34, are showing their age and are no longer performing at the world-class levels that fans have come to expect.
Key Players Losing Their Edge
The timing of this dip in form is particularly concerning given that both players have recently committed their futures to the club with new contracts. The evidence on the pitch, however, appears to support Carragher's claims.
Mohamed Salah has found the net just once in his previous five appearances, a significant drop in output for a player renowned for his consistent goal-scoring. Meanwhile, the defensive solidity once provided by Virgil van Dijk has evaporated.
The team's defensive record has become a major liability, having conceded at least three goals in three consecutive games for the first time since 1953.
Backing for Manager Arne Slot
Despite the team's collective failure on the pitch, Carragher's criticism was reserved primarily for the players, not the man in the dugout. The former England international explicitly stated that manager Arne Slot should be given more time to turn the situation around.
Carragher's analysis places the responsibility for this poor run squarely on the squad, implying that the performance levels of senior players like Salah and Van Dijk have fallen below the standard required.
With pressure mounting at Anfield, all eyes will be on how these established stars respond to this very public critique from a club legend.
