Carragher insists Liverpool's midfield 'cannot work' after Newcastle expose counter-attack frailty

Jamie Carragher doubled down on his long-standing criticism of Liverpool’s midfield following their 2-2 draw at Newcastle on Saturday, insisting the setup “cannot work” as the Reds were repeatedly cut open on the counter-attack at St James’ Park.

Anthony Elanga put Newcastle ahead inside four minutes, with Liverpool’s midfield caught high up the pitch. Yoane Wissa then travelled almost half the length of the field before teeing up Joe Willock for a second Newcastle goal, and Liverpool needed a last-minute penalty to salvage a point after trailing for the majority of the match.

Carragher, reacting on social media after Elanga’s opener, wrote: “LFC midfield all bombing forward — happened all pre-season, madness!” When Willock made it 2-0 shortly after, the former Liverpool defender posted again: “Again! This midfield cannot work, I said it before a competitive ball was kicked.”

Manager Arne Slot started with Florian Wirtz as the number ten, supported by Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai — a trio Carragher views as too attack-minded to provide the defensive balance a high-pressing side requires. Liverpool have been without a natural defensive midfielder since Fabinho left Anfield, and Carragher argues the consequences have been visible ever since.

The pundit had flagged the concern even before the season began. Speaking on the Overlap in pre-season, he said: “Liverpool have too many attacking players on the pitch, they just want to bomb forward. It’s just a basketball game. No top team plays football like that. I don’t believe it.”

Carragher drew a direct comparison to the Jürgen Klopp sides that won the Premier League and Champions League, which were built around a midfield axis of Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum, and Jordan Henderson — a combination that gave the team defensive structure without sacrificing creativity. All three have since departed, and Liverpool are yet to replace that profile.

The result leaves questions over whether Slot will address the defensive midfield void, particularly with Liverpool facing a demanding schedule in the weeks ahead.