Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher delivered a blunt assessment of Ibrahima Konate’s performances this season.
Following the Reds’ difficult outing against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, Carragher pointed to recurring defensive lapses as a major concern.
The Anfield heavyweights were beaten 2-0, but the scoreline could have been heavier as PSG repeatedly carved open Liverpool’s defense.
Despite tactical tweaks, including a switch to a back five featuring Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Joe Gomez, the defensive issues persisted, with PSG dominating large spells of the match.
Carragher believes those struggles have unfairly shifted criticism onto Van Dijk.
“People have criticised Van Dijk for his performances this season but I think it’s been harsh,” he said on CBS Sports.
“I think he plays every game, the fella next to him has been awful all season and poor again tonight.
“Konate, makes a mistake every game, so that’s not easy to play alongside, so I still think he’s been one of Liverpool’s better players, Virgil van Dijk.
“But tonight in that back three I have never seen him [Van Dijk] so uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt in my life.”
As the debate intensifies, Carragher’s criticism adds to earlier remarks he made about the French defender’s form during the campaign, suggesting a worrying trend rather than a one-off dip.
“Konate, it’s getting to the stage now where you actually feel you shouldn’t criticise him because you’re watching something that’s actually not nice to watch, when you’re watching a player go through something like this,” he reflected on his previous performance.
“I’ve never thought he was top class, but he’s just going through an absolute nightmare.”
With Liverpool chasing momentum both domestically and in Europe, attention will now turn to how Konate responds, as the team looks to tighten up defensively ahead of the decisive second leg.
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