Jamie Carragher has pointed the finger firmly at Liverpool’s players after a “really poor” start to the season under new manager Andoni Iraola.
The former Liverpool defender believes the players, rather than the new boss, must take responsibility for the Reds’ underwhelming performances.
Iraola replaced Arne Slot this summer after Liverpool’s disappointing campaign led to a change in the dugout.
While Liverpool remain unbeaten under their new manager, their latest setback has raised fresh concerns.
The Reds were held to a frustrating goalless draw by struggling Fulham at Anfield, leaving them six points adrift of top spot.
For Carragher, however, the blame should not be placed on Iraola.
Instead, he believes the same group of players who struggled for much of last season must now prove they can perform at the required level.
Carragher told Sky Sports News: “I’m putting no pressure or criticism on the manager – it hasn’t been a great start.
“But we’re at the stage now with this group of players where what we saw last season wasn’t acceptable for the club.
“They changed the manager on the back of last season, and the Liverpool hierarchy were basically saying, ‘We’ve got great players; you’re not getting enough out of them’.
“Okay, fair enough, so the new manager comes in, so you can’t then say the new manager needs transfer windows.
“The new manager’s come in; it’s very early days, but these players have been really poor for a long time.
“The start to the season has been really poor, and Liverpool haven’t had difficult fixtures.
“Really, Liverpool should have 10 points, so it’s been really poor.
“No Liverpool supporter will be looking at or questioning the manager.
“This season will be about the players, so for me, and most Liverpool supporters, we’ll be looking at those players and thinking you’ve got to do an awful lot more.”
Carragher’s assessment puts the spotlight directly on Liverpool’s squad.
The former defender believes the club’s decision to change managers was effectively an admission that the existing players were not performing at the level expected of them.
That makes it difficult, in his view, for those same players to blame a lack of time or transfer reinforcements for Liverpool’s struggles.
Iraola is still in the early stages of his Liverpool reign, meaning there is naturally an adjustment period as the squad learns his methods and tactical demands.
But Carragher believes the players already have enough quality to produce better results.
Liverpool’s fixture list has also strengthened his argument.
The Reds have not faced what could be described as an extremely difficult run of matches, yet they have already dropped valuable points.
The goalless draw against Fulham was particularly damaging because it came at Anfield and followed a much more encouraging comeback win over Atletico Madrid.
Now, the pressure shifts back onto the players.
Carragher’s message is simple: Liverpool’s stars have to raise their standards.
With Iraola still establishing his identity at the club, the former Liverpool defender believes the players must provide the immediate response.
For Liverpool supporters, the patience may remain with the manager.
But if performances continue to disappoint, the scrutiny will increasingly fall on the squad — exactly where Carragher believes it belongs.
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