Carragher says Liverpool 25-year-old played possible worst game of career v Napoli

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Jamie Carragher has claimed that Joe Gomez produced ‘one of the worst’ performances of his career following Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat to Napoli in the Champions League.

The 25-year-old started at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk in Naples, but at the break, he was hauled off by Jurgen Klopp, with Carragher labelling Liverpool’s defending ‘a joke’, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (07/09/22 at 10:10 pm)

It has been a season of worry already for the Merseyside club, well, things went from bad to worse in Italy.

Within minutes of the kick-off, Napoli’s lively and sought-after forward Victor Osimhen was hitting the outside of the post.

That warning wasn’t clear enough because, five minutes later, the Reds were behind via a penalty before Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone made it 3-0 before Klopp could have a word with his players.

Well, whatever was said at half-time clearly didn’t work because, within minutes of the restart, it was shambolic defending again, this time it was Joel Matip in the firing line and it’s fair to say that Carragher wasn’t impressed.

“I mean the defending is shocking,” said Carragher. “Gomez just had one of the worst halves of football he is possibly ever going to have. That’s why he had to come off at half-time.

“It should have been four or five at half-time, not just three. To concede the goals Liverpool did in the first half, then two minutes into the second half, to concede a goal like that.

“I mean, we are talking about players that have won the Champions League and the Premier League. It’s embarrassing. It’s a bit of a joke really to see players defending at this level like that.”

LIVERPOOL LOOK WORN OUT

Yes, there could have been more investment in this Liverpool squad and Klopp should have been backed more by those at the top.

But there still has been some form of refreshment to this team, even if it’s not enough.

The issue facing Liverpool is that they look stale, worn out and wholesale changes need to be made.

Now, you would back this team, given what they have produced over the years, to come good sooner rather than later, but if this form continues, then serious questions need to be asked.