02 January 2023 , 21:59
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Jamie Carragher has questioned whether or not Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has had more of an influence on the team this season - and insisted that the Reds 'no longer look like a Jurgen Klopp side'.
Liverpool have endured a difficult campaign and succumbed to another disappointing defeat against Brentford, who cantered to a 3-1 win against the Reds on Monday night. An own goal from Ibrahima Konate nudged Brentford into the lead before Yoane Wissa doubled their advantage before the break. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain halved the deficit after the interval but Bryan Mbeumo killed the game off in the 84th minute.
After running Manchester City close in the title race last term, Liverpool have struggled to replicate their form from years gone by and are lagging behind Arsenal, who are 15 points clear of Klopp's side at the summit of the league with a game in hand.
Liverpool's latest horror show left Carragher deeply concerned; and the former Anfield favourite questioned the club's current identity after claiming that the team have adopted a more technical approach this term - something he believes could be linked to Lijnders.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: “I don’t know if there’s an influence from Pep Lijnders, who is Jurgen Klopp’s assistant, he has a huge say in what’s going on as well and there’s a Dutch way of thinking - getting players on the ball.
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“Thinking Liverpool need to reinvent themselves and always keep tweaking things and changing things because people are used to them. But for me, from minute one of Jurgen Klopp’s era at Tottenham away - forget the quality of players - people were sprinting all over the pitch.
“I don’t see people sprinting around anymore, but they still play with this high line. This is not a Jurgen Klopp team I’m watching anymore.”
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Jamie Carragher has questioned the influence of Klopp's assistant, Pep Ljinders (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA)Carragher went on and compared Liverpool to the Arsenal teams that adopted a more technical approach during the latter years of Arsene Wenger's illustrious tenure.
The former Anfield favourite continued: “I feel like we are watching Jurgen Klopp when he first came to the club. In the first couple of the seasons, that was always the problem, someone would sit deep and then counter on them.
“But I don’t know what’s happened in terms of midfield. Liverpool haven’t bought a midfield player - well one player, Thiago - in four years and it’s coming back to haunt them now. And when I watch Liverpool now, it feels like Jurgen Klopp’s team is morphing into a technical team.
“The only team it reminds me of is when I used to play against Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. Yes, they were a great footballing team, but their pace and physicality [teams] couldn't cope with. And then that team morphed into something technical and they never won again.”