"I'm worried for Liverpool" | Nev & Carra react to Liverpool 1-2 Man Utd | Gary Neville Podcast

Welcome everybody to the Gary Neville podcast which this time has a perhaps slightly reluctant guest in Jamie Carragher. We come to you from Anfield off the back of Manchester United's first Premier League win here for very nearly a decade. I was always sure I was going to start with a winner so Gary this time it is you, perhaps improbably. Why did Manchester United win? Well look, we'll come back to that because I always think that we've been so critical of United over the last few years and this is one of the most famous victories that we've seen. Not expected and I want to take us back probably to an hour and a quarter, hour and a half before the game when those teams came through and not just me but when I saw the team I thought we've got no chance. I had three or four texts from United fans saying oh my god Casemiro and Bruno in midfield, Maguire and De Ligt at the back, you know the pace of Liverpool honestly the energy in midfield of Liverpool and the legs and with Casemiro having played two games in the international break for Brazil and obviously travelled from Asia you're thinking how can that be right? But that was pre-match I have to say within a minute that had gone because it was a brilliant moment for United, a really good bit of play from Amad slipping it into Embermo and that just got them off on the right footing and then from that moment in they were really resilient, they were competitive, they defended set pieces well, they looked dangerous on the counters, I thought the front three were really good. I thought he managed the game really well, Ruben Amirim in terms of you know looking at Casemiro after an hour, Amad after an hour at wing-back thinking okay let's get some legs on there, let's get some more defensive stability at wing-back, let's get Igarty on for Casemiro because he has had those two trips so everything seemed to go to plan and Ruben Amirim managed the game really well and the most I think, I think the most pleasing thing is that they've won having Liverpool equalised because when Liverpool equalised you thought this is gonna be the Alamo, the kitchen sink, the lot and Liverpool are gonna go and get a winner but there's something just before, I thought United would score a second, there's something about that Liverpool team that didn't have enough defensive mindsets on the pitch and I just thought United are gonna do and they did literally within a minute of that happening so look they're a bit of luck, you need a bit of luck, the goalkeepers made some good saves, they've hit the post three times Liverpool but I actually think United deserve what they got today because they applied themselves to the game properly, that was a proper sort of effort that they put in there and that's not always been the case over the last ten years in those games that we've seen Liverpool beat United. Okay Jamie so why did Liverpool lose? Listen Liverpool are not good enough defensively right now and every team that come up against them feel like they can score goals and create chances, now Man United's record here over the last ten years it's not just a defeat, I think they've only scored three goals I think in nine or ten games here but obviously you get the goal early on we can get into that obviously look at Virgil van Dijk but Manchester United look threatening every time they went forward, they had real big chances in that first half and it feels like it happens every game and I keep going back to the Newcastle game because Newcastle United I think you know scored a couple of goals and had big chances with ten men and whether we talk about the balance not being right now Florian Wirtz hasn't played in the last couple of games whether these players are a team who don't actually want to do the work without the ball it's all about getting on the ball and you know getting people between the lines and this is something we look at tomorrow again on Monday night football but yeah just listen it could have gone the other way Liverpool had big chances in the game but when I was speaking about what I felt Liverpool looked like in the early weeks of the season I feared this happening because of the way the games were going and scoring you know last-minute goals and it almost feels like once that invincibility is gone a little bit with Man City last season where you think every team feels like they've got a chance and something just come to me then when we were talking and I was thinking about that was I remember playing Arsenal here and beating the 2-1 the invincible team and I think they'd lost the game before maybe an old Trafford and that team just once they'd lost one he's one of this run of losing games because everyone just got this belief they could go and beat them at the time as I said it happened to City last season and it feels like Liverpool now have just lost that sort of cloak of invincibility but you know last season they went months without losing the game and then once they've lost one you know they're chinking their armors there and it just feels like every game they go into now the opposition have got real belief they can score goals you referred to it that that's a famous night the first night here against Bournemouth when you had that great exchange that everyone so loved with Arnaud Slot about your worries around the team and how everyone was how do you reflect on that conversation now in the context of what you've seen since and especially today all of those substitutions when Liverpool were chasing the game were for the neutral and I'm the only neutral here we're thrilling you know really thrilling but I wonder what that made you feel in your gut I mean I thought it was a little bit early to go so gung-ho and I also felt a little bit vervey it's playing central midfield you think and get him sort of higher up the pitch but but Liverpool got back into the game and listen I don't really know where the corner comes from if that had anything to do but man United's goals come from a set-piece again you know and it's Harry Maguire heading it in where are me two big centre-backs with me big players dealing with that so I'll go back to that as well so well I'm not quite sure that had something to do with it tactically Liverpool still have big chances at the end you know you think of the gap Oh header the one where a few of them do me there as well so I don't think Liverpool actually lost this game necessarily because of the changes on a slot me because I don't think you know I just sort of counter-attack them and through on goal or anything like that but listen the small margins right now whereas the times at the start of the season they were going for them they're now going against them and it just feels like every game goes to the wire and the reason I mentioned at the start of the season is and we had this little debate I never want my team to be described as the most entertaining team and this game being end-to-end and anyone can score no that you're like watching teams you do that or we're not your team you don't like your team doing that you want your team to be in control I'm very rarely this season of Liverpool ever being in control of a game of football I think the individual performances of Liverpool's defenders was really poor and decision-making the left backs not settled in there's no point me going over that again I said on this podcast I think three weeks ago he plays like a like a ten-year-old left back he's all over the place right back Conor Bradley was okay today I don't think he did anything particularly wrong but you know Van Dijk I've not seen Van Dijk as shaky as that now sometimes when a player comes back from international break it's been him that's been holding it together but he had one of his worst games today he wasn't himself and I think if you if you stalwart your captain you sort of your giant in the team isn't actually playing well from the first minute it does rub off on everybody as well and he had that sort of you know I don't know what he was doing on the first goal he sort of hands you know the good thing is he's in is I'm there now look turned up for the interview so he's obviously you know he's Liverpool captain and he's been one of the greatest centre-backs and he's one of the greatest centre-backs in the world and one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history he's had a difficult day out there today and then Liverpool in midfield just looked a little bit all over the shot but look come on to Salah shortly they just all of them are sort of just a little bit short of where they are you know Burt's hasn't settled in let's just say it he's not settled in quite yet and as a brilliant player Mo Salah is well below his best you've got three hundred and fifty million pound players there whether they're under 150 million pounds in terms of how much Liverpool have paid for them or worth that just generally in terms of their world-class nature like so you've got three players that are not firing as well that doesn't half have a big impact and when obviously Allison's missing Van Dijk's not at his best it is a ripple effect through the team and United today to be fair they look like they were dangerous on every single attack I thought United could score two I didn't stop saying it even when Liverpool scored and went to 1-1 I just thought look I don't feel Liverpool are safe here I think United have got to go and get a second and I thought they would get a second I thought the ball from Bruno Fernandes by the way for the second goal was special that was a brilliant ball into the box it's a bad night for Liverpool I thought after the international break they would recalibrate and reset you know sometimes when you're a team that's won a title like they have you sometimes need a break where you just say to to the right now come on kick back in concentration focus we're not going to give any goals away but in a minute of this game that goes out the window so even if they have tried to reset mentally after a minute they're a goal down and they're thinking oh and for United if you score here in the first half I always think you've got a chance because it does make this crowd nervous this crowd is a great asset and you nearly saw it being a great asset towards the end but it also can be a little bit of a pressure you know if obviously the away team score United scored early and it really give them confidence and I was really look there have been times I've not been proud of United in the last five ten years I think they've fallen well short in matches but I thought they showed a spirit and a heart today is there something in Manchester United when I think of Armadone listen you know it's one result and we can't disguise it's been really close since he's come in and in some ways it probably couldn't have got any worse in terms you know with you know the games they've won losing that cup final to space this even the start of this season but I just think twice he's come to Anfield I think he's been to Man City and won fortune I think they've been to Arsenal maybe once someone may be in a cup game or something and we talk about the system a lot and one of the reasons why I don't think it suits a club of Manchester United is because I don't think it's a system that puts you on the front foot and you can get after teams but maybe when you're the team who are not expected to go win the game it can be a difficult system to sort of break down once you get into that back five and that four in front and we question that four in front at times but when you're at home the attacking players think I should be up this pitch I'm not really going to get back and tuck it in defense but Mason Mount picked for that role today and it is a difficult sort of to crack for any team that's why Crystal Palace have joined because Crystal Palace are a team who are not seen as the team who have always got to take the game to the opposition they can sit there and more often than not games have to go into they're not expected to win or they sort of you know a mid-table team and he's getting more out of them because of that maybe that's why he's doing well in these big games especially away from home but in terms of going forward and being on the front foot Manchester United and scoring goals and winning games that's why I think it will always hold them back this system I thought United in these four games obviously Liverpool away, Brighton at home Forrest away, Tottenham away I was thinking seven eight points is great seven points would be par out of these four games now there's a real chance and they should be thinking to go and get ten points out of these four games that would get them back up in I think the top six and that's what I think they need this month but you know let's be clear what we thought before the game I thought if United lose here today which they're more than likely to do when I saw the team sheet I'm thinking Ruben Amirim is going to go into that Brighton game under real pressure with Forrest and Tottenham to come this is a complete turnaround game this but it has to be something that they don't go and sort of they can't get carried away with this now they've got a week before Brighton they have to go and beat Brighton next Saturday or else it becomes something that sort of lessens what's happened here today they've got a kick-start springboard from what they've done here today to win at Anfield is special in any season this is a bloody tough place to play to win here is the hardest ground honestly to win here tonight they should be really proud because it's you know it's a big achievement but they've got to kick on from here I just listen we're seeing pictures here Harry Maguire and of course you'll know I'm absolutely devastated with this result but I think if anyone is going to get a winning goal here and he almost got the winning goal last season I must say out of that dressing room I'm looking at I'm probably pleased that's him because the amount of criticism that that lad's taken and that's the nature of being at one stage he was the captain of Manchester United and Manchester United a fantastic club and have huge standards and of course listen it hasn't happened for him in terms of you know his price tag and coming to the club but that's something he'll always remember and he'll always be remembered for Manchester United fans for getting the you know the winner at Anfield so if someone was going to get the win I'm probably quite pleased because that lad has been through a lot and it can't have been easy what he's gone through over the years so and you know what he always fronts up he's always in that team he could have moved a couple of times you know he can get away from the limelight go to a lesser club you're not in the spotlight as much but he hasn't he's he's been there you know for Manchester United he's there he doesn't play every week so if it's gonna happen fair play to him. There is a lovely human element to that Jamie I'm glad you brought it up and actually Harry Maguire is an example of a player who could be scarred by the experiences he's been through and the Manchester United team as a whole could be pretty scarred I appreciate even as a non player that scoring after a minute helps in terms of confidence but didn't they look surprisingly confident today didn't the selection seem to work out didn't Cunha and Mbomo and Mount work together? Absolutely I thought the three played well I thought Casemiro and Fernandes in midfield probably the best game they could have had together I think honestly I was really worried about that I always worry when De Ligt's in that right channel with Maguire at centre back I always think there's not enough pace in there but I thought this there's a few problems with Gatoy in this first half but it was fine I think for Harry Maguire it was a really good day for him I think both De Ligt and him both won that central defensive part but like I say this is they've got to go from today and think right I don't think they should celebrate tonight in a sense of celebrating and thinking how proud you should be to win it but I hope as they get on that bus I hope there's a mindset of right come on this is it we're not going back there again you know we're not going back into that bottom half of the table they've just gone into the top half of the table I think to ninth and I think if they win next week you know you they've got to start thinking of pushing up the league because they've got to get to a point whereby the stability at the club the only way there's gonna be stability is through winning football matches so no look it's a great day for Manchester United I think Maguire and all of them should be proud of how they played they really did a good job here and yeah I was surprised at the levels they got to today but let's see again next Saturday night against Brighton so from Liverpool's point of view Jamie and again we don't want to be it is only one game it's a very very big game but for Liverpool it's now of course four games and they're a little bit off the pace nobody's saying they can't win the league anymore anything silly like that but it kind of brings a punctuation point it brings a natural reflection I what happens next for Liverpool where do they how do they improve from here could you go Joe Gomez right and it sounds crazy sometimes we used to this could you go Joe Gomez right back Robertson left back with Canarsie and Van Dijk and just say right okay for a couple of weeks we're gonna bulldoze our way back into this league and basically keep clean sheets is there something in that I think that's probably something we'd have done in our day I just don't think Arnistott's that type of manager I think he always wanted to be the manager who's sort of his team are making the play they're on the ball so he'd want to fall back to actually progress the ball forward and you know be attacking if you like in terms of the team that he picks that could be something maybe you do in a big away game of course but I think for Liverpool right now it's it because the games come so quick and fast you know before you know you're at Brentford Saturday night and yeah that's what I'm saying so how when does a blip become a crisis when is it something I'm gone you know we are so not the team who ran away with the league title last season spending 400 million pound in a summer you know so people can say it's early days and you're looking at different players but when you spend that type of money and you're the champions you're talking about really high expectations and I keep going back to it felt like a real Madrid summer that's a real Madrid go and do go and spend the most money on the best players in the market in a summer it's not Liverpool like that so it's very different Liverpool some of them you've probably ever seen before and yeah I'm I'm worried for Liverpool in terms of not just the results it's the performance has all seen so the games they've won they've never looked convincing and that's that's almost a bigger worry for me than the actual results that they're in right now just just on Salah the interesting thing is obviously there's a questions are being asked about him whether it's his age whether it's just one season too many all the other stuff the strange thing in watching Salah is usually when a player towards the end of his career what you notice is the physical decline I'm not seeing a physical decline in respect of sort of like some of his sprints look quite sharp he looks busy in the box but just like crazy things like the ball comes to the back post his technique on his kicking and he's sort of crossing that's the thing that looks well off so you look there's a couple of moments there at the back post where you think that's not Mo Salah he had that chance where he sort of dragged it really ugly like you know to the to the to the left of the post I mean that's just his technique that Mo Salah could probably play when he's 52 and still have a good technique so that's the bit that's surprising me the technical bit I think I think Mo Salah has declined physically in terms of when he first came it's the technical decline that we're seeing but what I would say is problems no I agree but even when Mo Salah has been at his absolute best he can have games where he looks technically poor he can just he's one of those players who at times you think such a great player sometimes performances and this is not this season this is over his time for Liverpool we all know as Liverpool fans and you put up with it because you think he'll score two in a couple of weeks you know he goes through these little runs now when he first came in he had blistering pace him and Mane that's not there so much but he still had sharpness about him I'm not quite sure that sharpness is still there I still think he looks quite sharp I'm not sure I don't know I think he looks sharp in those little areas where you'd want him to look sharp in the last 18-20 yards of the pitch but as the ball comes to the back post on two or three occasions or for instance the Verts assists for him that would have been an assist at Chelsea and you think he's gonna finish that today there's two chances at the back post he's gonna finish that it's the technical aspect of his game that's letting him down at the moment for me more than the physical aspect yeah there's no doubt he can at times look not like a world-class but he can look like an average player technically I've said that before that was at his heyday he has lost something physically but I do worry and I do think this is a real conundrum for the manager going forward what you do it was interesting you mentioned in commentary that he brought him off now that's that's that's not the first if you remember Jürgen Klopp used to bring him off a lot if he wasn't playing particularly well Jürgen Klopp is not shy so that shows you that in years gone by Mo Salah could be having a poor game and he'd still get brought off even if he had an excellent bit of energy or sharpness but I do think right now it's really interesting what the manager does because I think we're at the stage with Mo Salah right now where he shouldn't be playing every game it shouldn't be a case of like he's one of the first names on the team it should be a case of yes he's in your best team he plays in home games maybe you have to think about it Liverpool have got two away games one in Europe one in Brentford I don't think he plays in both of them so I think these things have got to start coming maybe into the managers head and maybe you have a little look of frimpong in an away game you can maybe help you fall back a little bit more defensively but maybe give you a little bit of pace on the outside as we saw when he comes on I think we're at that stage now where Mo Salah shouldn't be a guaranteed starter every week we should finish the section on this game which is most of what we're talking about with Manchester United and we will because it's United's day but just a final thing just because I'm interested Jamie in your opinion particularly on this I read a piece the other day you might have done to suggesting that this is like Liverpool's transition season a year late you know everybody expected my piece maybe it was I don't know but but I'm wondering whether that is kind of coming to pass well listen I don't think you should say that and use that as like an excuse because as I go back to the champions who won the league with these have spent 400 million on two or three of the best players on the market in their position so transition may be a little bit too strong but you do feel and I go back to Paris Saint-Germain last season when you watch Paris Saint-Germain on the first half of the season it was like a completely different team to what you saw in the second half of the season they almost went out of the Champions League group stage now this Liverpool team has to get better these players with Toronto's Isaac and Vert and Ekotika who come off the bench they're too good of players not to improve what they're doing right now and players who are looking at feeling you know Virgil van Dijk you know Mo Salah, Kennate those players performances will improve so Liverpool will get better the worry for them is I think they're going to lose more points between now and the end of January February a lot more points and will Arsenal or Manchester City be too far away from because I think Arsenal right now look the best equipped team to win the title in terms of the way the league is now it feels like a lot of set pieces long throws Liverpool can see the goal again from a set piece ask the look sort of scoring goals from set pieces they can defend them as well and they might be better equipped to win this title in terms of how the Premier League is going style wise from from all the teams but Arsenal will get nervous in March in April because they haven't won a league for so long and Liverpool Manchester City need to make sure they're not too far out in front where they can't affect that and that's that's the thing with Liverpool now losing these silly points and I think they'll lose more they've got to keep Arsenal sort of within arm's length of them I think Arnaud Slot's got a big job to do I think Liverpool's recruitment has been lauded and rightly so for many years but if you look at the five outfield signings Kerkes has not settled in, Primponga has not settled in, Burts has not settled in, Isak's not settled in, Ekotiki I think probably has settled in, I think he's probably done okay in the games that he's played in I think he's obviously done well when he's come on as sub, he looks really sharp but if your four main signs and the problem is two of those are at full-back so for me I do I think I am concerned by Liverpool's full-backs if I was a Liverpool fan because that's half your back four, they didn't get Gaye which is obviously the other bit of recruitment that was supposed to sort out the centre-back partner for well with Canarty or so with Van Dijk so for me I think the Liverpool signings just haven't got going yet once Isak, Burts, if Primponga and Kerkes have to settle in, if the left-back doesn't settle in it will be a problem you cannot have your full-backs basically not being at a level you just can't else you're gonna concede goals. The thing I find strange about and I was Liverpool needs a left-back and to become first choice let's make no bones about it, Andy Robertson last year won the league title playing week in week out at left-back but we've been in that position you're watching a player almost just hanging on a full-back and it can be a position where you're exposed now Kerkes is a far better player than Simmercastle so you think Liverpool should be stronger in that left-back area what I'm surprised that it's not that Kerkes is first choice I think that was right initially for him to come in but Robertson's almost getting treated like Simmercastle where it's like you never play you only play unless the left-back's injured or you know you come on I thought Robertson would play today yeah maybe exactly but I thought there would have been and that was my point about bringing a left-back in Andy Robertson needs help so it was almost I'm surprised he hasn't been given more games not just because Kerkes hasn't performed that well just more of actually he has been a great Liverpool left-back he won the league last season Kerkes is a new player it almost just feels like it's Kerkes as the left-back and that's the end of it and I find that strange really you know from game one sure so Gary final word on Manchester United I wonder what this result and the feeling it's given you does to your I won't say ambitions for them but your what what of Manchester United's possibilities become off the back of a day like this look Peter honestly I think Manchester United have got a top six squad particularly when you know that they haven't got European football and they haven't got Carabao Cup now so they've got a free week nearly every week for the rest of the season so for me I think Manchester United preparing with three weeks with that amount of players in the squad if you look at the four or five players they've got up front in sesco kunya Ahmad and Burmo and mount you know Bruno behind them and then them centre-backs they've got they've got euro delete McGuire Luke Shaw they should be able to get a top six finish with the three weeks out of that squad so what I'm hoping out of today is unexpectedly United find themselves in the top half of the table I wasn't expecting to be in the top I kept looking at thinking with 12 before the game starts to be in nine tonight honestly now we've got Brighton next Saturday at home and you got Nottingham Forest away look the big concern is the Brentford performance where you go and do well against Chelsea and then Brentford comes you can't do that so what can't happen is now we've got this height of performance and then all of a sudden Brighton ends up being it so the next couple of weeks are huge I think for Reuben Amraim to start to build Reuben Amraim's got to start trusting those players I know we talk about trusting Reuben Amraim and him sort of being under pressure and that's always gonna be the case with the manager but Reuben Amraim wants to be able to trust his players I know he likes them and I know the players like him you can see that there's no sort of players sort of like you know losing the dressing room type stuff which we have seen with United many times you know there's no doubt those players admire their coach they like him as a person but they've got to start trusting each other trust the system if you the players but also Reuben Amraim trust his players that they can deliver consistently so I'm just looking towards next week now enjoy tonight because it's one of the greatest moments you can have as a United player come on winning at Anfield and it happens rarely so we enjoy tonight but honestly lads you've got to get back at it tomorrow morning you've got to switch on and focus because next Saturday will kick you right where you don't want it to kick you if you're not at your best Brighton are a good side so really start to focus so hard on that in terms of everything that you do this week lovely stuff I don't think that we need to do too much any other business this was the story of the weekend so maybe Jamie just before Gary finishes us off you can tee up Monday Night Football yes we've got Gary O'Neill coming on he's obviously out of work at the moment but he came on a couple of years it was fantastic and on the show we've got obviously the game is West Ham Bremford, Nuno's first home game yes yes so obviously we're gonna look at that and you would imagine set pieces long throws are gonna be heavily involved in the game so that's something we might look at after you know the game at half ten where the Premier League's going in terms of set pieces Liverpool have lost the game on a set piece Arsenal win again yesterday on a set piece you know long throws Manchester United you know today taking there plenty of long throws so we've got two teams like that we'll obviously look at this we look at the situation with Angers and Nottingham Forest as well and they probably look at Crystal Palace and Bournemouth as that was a great game that was a mess wasn't it you know Angers then having to go they were always going to probably lose against Chelsea at home so why not just sack them before the international break ended rather than after the game yesterday I thought it's just really strange that and then the owner leaving the leaving the stand you know 30 minutes before the end of the game and then being sacked 19 minutes after a game I just think there's a way to do it I mean the style differential between Nuno and Angers we all said it at the time couldn't have been any more stark so how he how he was going to implement that change mid-season I just think it's really gonna always be difficult look I'm not saying that Angers you know didn't need to go because of the results and sometimes as an owner you've been in a position whereby you realize your mistake quickly you make it but just a little bit unsavoury I felt in terms of the way in which it ended on what you thought no no I mean it wasn't necessarily the media or people on those question and the supporters were putting that much pressure on you know on the managing you see him come out fighting did you in the press conference before the game and in some ways I admire that but you know you bring it around you know the Angers plus the Cogs lost 31 out of 15 in the last 50 Premier League games so he he doesn't like to look at that he likes to look at the fact that they won you know a trophy a top that's a huge success but as other people look you know the flip side of that coin as well really just yeah it didn't feel like a great appointment and yes it hasn't gone well but maybe they've made the right decision obviously in their eyes but it's gonna be really interesting to see where they're going because it looks like it could be Sean Dyce now that shows how fearful they are of actually relegation and that comes from the fact that Sunderland and Burnley are actually doing well and getting points on the board that's the real worry in the Premier League this season for teams that he could go down that worry hasn't been there for the last couple of seasons so it might be a case of bringing Sean Dyce in and you know do the job that he did at Everton and keep Nottingham Forest in the league. And the fact they're in trouble obviously also plays into the fact the promoted teams are doing really well which is great for the league and I'm glad you're doing Palace and Bournemouth too. Don't hold me to that, I don't want their fans on my case, they're in the mix. You mentioned it and Palace and Bournemouth are absolutely deserving of a mention so yeah that's great it's been a terrific Premier League weekend, well done Gary. Has it? Yeah, well I mean, it's been as good as it ever could be actually.