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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher says the Reds must get better defensively if they are to have a chance of competing with Arsenal and Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.
Arne Slot said in the aftermath of his side's home defeat to Manchester United that Liverpool created more than enough chances to win the game. However, he did also admit that his players have to be much better at defending, especially from set-pieces.
"If you look at the signings Liverpool have brought in, the full-backs are quite small so there's no real great physical presence," Carragher outlined on Sky Sports.
"Set-piece-wise, is the team big enough? It looks like they are not coping very well with set pieces and are struggling with the style of the Premier League right now.
"I don't think it's one glaring problem, it's lots of things. Some of their best players from last season are not at the same levels and it's not quite happening for Liverpool now.
"They felt invincible last season; now as soon as someone beat them, they have lost four in a row. It's like Manchester City last season: you couldn't believe they were losing. It's the same with Liverpool now.
"They have got to get out of it quickly but we're not going to see the best of Liverpool until the second half of the season. With Liverpool sometimes there is a mindset of not wanting to do the dirty work.
"Liverpool are a much better team than Manchester United so if Manchester United are to come to Anfield and win it was to be like that, get a bit of luck with a late goal.
"Liverpool are not at the races at all defensively. Until they fix that, they can't win the league."
Slot's side has lost four times in a row, with three of those matches in the league, against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and now Manchester United. It also got beaten in Turkey against Galatasaray in the Champions League.
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"The second thing that went wrong is that from all the chances we got, we only scored one goal," Slot said in his post-match press conference.
"I have said it in Holland many times, and maybe I've said it here as well, it's almost impossible to win a big game of football — and Liverpool v United is a big game with so many quality players on the pitch — to win it with a negative set-piece balance. We conceded another one, and that led to us losing the game."
Liverpool.com says: There is no doubt that Slot needs to find a way of having control of games again. Especially with Brentford coming up next weekend, sorting out the set-pieces is a real priority.
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