Jamie Carragher pulled no punches in his analysis of Liverpool’s League Cup Final loss to Manchester City at Wembley yesterday.
Our former centre-back covered the game for Sky Sports, and went on a rant about goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and left-back Alberto Moreno after the penalty shoot-out defeat was confirmed.
Both played a part in the goal we conceded, with Moreno not tracking runner Fernandinho, and the Belgian stopper feebly letting the Brazilian’s strike through him from a tight angle.
“The left-back has to come out of the team,” Carragher began, cited in the Mirror. “This is not a one-off today in terms of the goal.
“[Jon] Flanagan has come back fit and has to go into the team in midweek, he [Klopp] has to change the left-back.
“Flanagan played left-back when they nearly won the league. He can’t be worse than him [Moreno].
“The goalkeeper has made some outstanding saves today, but just because you make some outstanding saves doesn’t mean you should be allowed to concede a goal like that. And that is not just today.
“Going forward for Liverpool, those are two areas Jurgen Klopp has to change in the summer.
“The goalkeeper may have signed a five-year deal, and he has made some good saves today, but things have to change.
“It starts with the left-back Moreno. He splits initially from a goal kick, but now he knows he isn’t going to receive the ball he has to get back.
“Sergio Aguero is in the right position to pick up the ball because his opposite full-back has gone in to go for a header. And then he [Moreno] doesn’t see the run.
“But that [Mignolet’s mistake] is shocking. You can’t score from there.”
Carragher certainly makes a point most Liverpool fans would agree with.
Mignolet almost made up for his blunder with a number of excellent saves, but it’s just an all too familiar story. We’ve lost count of the number of errors he’s made this year that have directly led to goals. Moreno too is always out of position and defensively naive. He actually gave away a stonewall penalty as well, but it fortunately wasn’t given at the time.
In Jon Flanagan, we have a defensively sound option to come in and start next time out against City in the Premier League.
It’s definitely time he gets his opportunity.