If rumour is true, Jamie Carragher’s big Liverpool concern will only get worse – Our View

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Liverpool’s midfield this season has been terrible.

There’s no other way to word it. Fabinho, Thiago and Jordan Henderson have all been off the boil, and it looks as though their race is run at Anfield.

What is the problem with Liverpool’s midfield? Some put it down to age, others put it down to burnout, but perhaps the best explanation we’ve had so far is from Jamie Carragher who believes that the midfield has, quite simply, become too technical rather than being physically dominant.

“The only team it reminds me of is Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. They were a great footballing team, but their pace and physicality, teams couldn’t cope with it, but that team morphed into something really technical and it never won again,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“I don’t know if there’s influence from Pep Lijnders, Klopp’s number two who has a huge say in what goes on. Maybe a Dutch way of thinking, getting players on the ball, but for me, from minute one, forget the quality of players, they were sprinting all over the pitch, but I don’t see Liverpool now sprinting and closing people down, it’s not a Jurgen Klopp team I’m seeing now.”

Carragher’s point does make sense. Since losing Gini Wijnaldum and replacing him with Thiago, the midfield has become a lot more technical, and that issue could only be compounded if the rumours of interest in Manuel Locatelli ring true this summer.

Indeed, according to CalcioMercatoWeb, Liverpool have their eyes set on Locatelli this summer, and, with all due respect, he would only worsen the issue Carragher speaks about.

Locatelli is a wonderful player, don’t get us wrong, but he is very technical player. His game revolves around possession retention and recycling the ball – hence the long-term comparisons to Andrea Pirlo.

While every team wants a player like that, Liverpool need to add more grit and steel into their midfield rather than another technician, and, sadly, Locatelli isn’t that man.

For 90% of clubs, Locatelli would be a great signing, but for Liverpool, it would be yet another square peg in a round midfield hole.